Mints to partner for special Mayflower anniversary coin sets
- Published: Sep 4, 2020, 8 AM
The U.S. Mint and Royal Mint will jointly release, this fall, two limited-edition sets marking the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage.
The collaborative issues are a two-coin gold Proof set and a set comprising a Proof silver coin and Proof silver medal.
Pricing and the available number of each set are yet to be announced.
The coin and medal designs join to tell the story of the Pilgrims, the Mayflower’s journey, and the impact of the Pilgrims’ arrival on the native Wampanoag people.
The 24-karat gold set features a U.S. Proof quarter-ounce $10 coin and a British Proof quarter-ounce £25 coin.
The two different reverses of the British coin and the U.S. coin and medal contained in the sets were designed by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program Artist Chris T. Costello, who used multiple stylistic elements to tie them together.
“These include the choice of font and North Star on the U.K. coin, which connects to the image of the sun in the U.S. coin, symbolizing a new day,” according to the U.S. Mint narrative. That symbolism is also a reference to the Wampanoag people who inhabited the region, and were known as the ‘People of the Dawn.’ ”
The British and American coin designs come together to tell the story of the departure and arrival of the Mayflower.
The story begins on the obverse of the British coin with the monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II in a design by Jody Clark. The reverse depicts the Mayflower in the early stages of its voyage, guided by the North Star, carrying the hopes and dreams of the Pilgrims for their life in the New World. The Mayflower is depicted as though bursting out of the frame, sailing through rough seas.
The story then continues on the obverse of the U.S. gold coin, with the depiction of a Wampanoag family watching from their world, at the border of the design, as the Mayflower arrives from foreign shores, according to the U.S. Mint narrative, which continues, “A young boy steps on the border, representing the intersection of the Wampanoag people in their Patuxet homeland and the Mayflower passengers.”
Costello’s U.S. gold coin reverse “depicts portraits of a Pilgrim man and woman, representing the beginnings of a transition from a monarchy to democracy. The dual portraits symbolize a democratic organization, with their resolute expressions focused on a self-determined future. A pair of mayflower blossoms flank the design.” The design was sculpted by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Joseph F. Menna.
Silver coin, medal set
Forming the Silver Coin and Medal set are a Proof 1-ounce silver £2 coin and a U.S. silver medal, both .999 fine.
The U.S. silver medal obverse “features a Mayflower family bracing against the cold and windy weather, foreshadowing their coming hardships, while the ship is anchored in the harbor. A pair of mayflower blossoms flank the design.
Costello’s medal reverse “depicts a Wampanoag man and woman employing a planting technique used to grow several crops that were staples for the Wampanoag people. This method helped keep the soil healthy, maintaining the resources for annual plantings and successful harvests.
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