U.S. Mint reveals prices for Mayflower coins in joint program
- Published: Oct 23, 2020, 9 AM
The United States Mint announced pricing Oct. 20 in the Federal Register for numismatic products associated with the joint program between the U.S. Mint and Britain’s Royal Mint to celebrate the 400th anniversary in 2021 of the landing of the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock.
The joint limited-edition numismatic products will go on sale from the U.S. Mint at 9 a.m. Eastern Time Nov. 17.
Pricing is fixed for the silver products, but the offers containing gold coins are subject to weekly fluctuations in the spot price of gold. Opening retail prices for the numismatic products will be announced closer to the release date of the joint program.
The gold coin prices are set according to a pricing grid that establishes a price based on weekly averages. The full U.S. Mint pricing grid can be accessed online at https://catalog.usmint.gov/coin-programs/american-eagle-coins.
Prices released Oct. 20 are as follows:
➤ 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Voyage Two-Coin Gold Proof set, per grid.
➤ 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Voyage Silver Proof Coin and Medal set, $150.
➤ Mayflower 400th Anniversary Gold Reverse Proof Coin, per pricing grid.
➤ Mayflower 400th Anniversary Silver Reverse Proof Medal, $70.
Gold coins, set
The 24-karat gold set features a U.S. Proof quarter-ounce $10 coin and a British Proof quarter-ounce £25 coin.
The British coin’s reverse and the entirety of the U.S. coin in the set 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 on 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, “A young boy steps on the border, representing the intersection of the Wampanoag people in their Patuxet homeland and the Mayflower passengers.”
The gold $10 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.
Both the U.S. Proof gold coin, in the set, and U.S. Reverse Proof gold coin, to be sold individually, are struck at the West Point Mint, in .9999 fine gold.
Silver coin, medal set
The silver coin and medal set holds a Proof 1-ounce silver £2 coin and a U.S. Proof silver medal, both .999 fine.
The Royal Mint’s silver £2 coin repeats the designs of the gold £25 coin. The U.S. silver medal is also designed by Costello.
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.”
The U.S. silver medals, both for individual sales and for the coin and medal set will be struck at the Philadelphia Mint.
The medal struck for inclusion in the set has a standard Proof finish, with laser-frosted devices contrasted against mirrored fields.
The individually offered U.S. silver medal has a Reverse Proof finish, with mirrored devices against frosted fields.
Additional Royal Mint Mayflower coins can be obtained through www.royalmint.com.
U.S. Mint spokesman Michael White said maximum mintages for each numismatic product will be announced closer to the Nov. 17 release.
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