US Coins

U.S. Mint unveils approved designs for Anwar Sadat congressional gold medal

By Paul Gilkes , Coin World

Published: Sep 17, 2019, 5 PM

The Anwar Sadat congressional gold medal was approved by Congress and signed into law Dec. 13., 2018.

Color image courtesy of Encyclopedia Brittanica; background image courtesy of the U.S. Mint.

Approved designs for the Anwar Sadat congressional gold medal were unveiled by the U.S. Mint Sept. 17 in the Cash Room of the Main Treasury Building in Washington, D.C.

Images courtesy of the U.S. Mint.

The designs approved by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for the Anwar Sadat congressional gold medal were unveiled by the U.S. Mint Sept. 17 during ceremonies in the Cash Room of the Main Treasury Building in Washington, D.C.

The approved obverse and reverse designs were recommended by both the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and Commission of Fine Arts in separate meetings June 18 and June 20, respectively.

The Sadat medal’s obverse features a large, dramatic portrait of Sadat facing right.

Sadat, whose medal was authorized under Public Law 115-310, is being recognized for his achievements and contributions to the course of peace in the Middle East. Sadat served as the third president of Egypt until his Oct. 6, 1981, assassination by fundamentalist army officers.

According to the U.S. Mint’s design narrative, “The composition is designed for the portrait to be sculpted in the manner of ancient Egyptian relief, with the figure inset into the surface of the medal and its features sculpted flush with the medal’s surface. The inscription ANWAR EL SADAT is incused along the right border.”

The approved reverse design depicts the Unknown Soldier Memorial and Anwar El Sadat’s tomb with the inscriptions HE LIVED FOR PEACE AND DIED FOR PRINCIPLES, ANWAR EL SADAT 1918–1981, and ACT OF CONGRESS 2018.Sadat’s gold medal is to be presented to his widow, Jehan Sadat, or next of kin if she is not available, and a representative of the government of Egypt.

The obverse design was created by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Joseph F. Menna who will also sculpt the design. The reverse was designed by Donna Weaver, a U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program artist and former U.S. Mint sculptor-engraver.

The CCAC and CFA made their recommendations after reviewing 14 proposed obverse and 14 proposed reverse designs for the Sadat medal.

Once produced at the Philadelphia Mint, the Sadat medal will be offered in bronze duplicates for sale to the public from the U.S. Mint in two diameters — a 3-inch version sold for $39.95 and a 1.5-inch version for $6.95.

The single gold medal for presentation is to be struck in .999 fine gold.

Connect with Coin World: