This year’s United States Mint production schedule is one for the books. As the official 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing occurred just four days ago, the amount of numismatic product surrounding and celebrating that historic event in 1969 has been vast and wide. And because of that, might we offer kudos and congratulations to the US Mint for going all-in on that celebration.
One of the designs surrounding that theme made its way on an annual release that has a yearly design change on the reverse: the Native American $1 Coin. All the ways in which the coin appears this year, including in both the 2019 Clad Proof Set and Silver Proof Set, it is also making an appearance in a set that in a lot of ways, may have been overlooked in years past.
Released today was the 2019 Native American $1 Coin and Currency Set. The reprised set will include an enhanced uncirculated 2019 Native American $1 coin in addition to a Series 2017 $1 note beginning with the serial number “1959” in commemoration of the launch year of the Agena spacecraft that can be found on the reverse of this year’s Native American coin.
The $1 Coin reverse depicts Mary Golda Ross, one of the first female American Indian engineers, writing calculations. The formula found in the launch clouds to the right of Ross depicts the possible formula used to calculate space travel and more while the Atlas-Agena rocket takes off in the background. There is also a symbolic Native American astronaut spacewalking at the top right of the coin while a field of stars behind and above her represent outer space.
Overall, the design highlights the contributions of Native Americans to the United States Space Program. Three spacewalks occurred on the International Space Station in 2002 by John Herrington, a member of the Chickasaw Nation. These contributions alone, including the pioneering work of Mary Golda Ross (Cherokee) who helped develop the Agena spacecraft for both the Gemini and Apollo Programs, are some of the biggest achievements made by not only American Indians but by any contributing member of the U.S. Space Program over the years.
The first year for a Native American Coin and Currency Set was in 2014 as the reverse design honored Native American hospitality and friendship to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The sets continued on until 2016 but 2017 along with 2018 did not see a release from the Mint.
The 2019 Native American $1 Coin and Currency Set has a total mintage limit of 50,000 as the current household limit is set to two.