The month of August has been a doozy. Release after release from the United States Mint has been a sellout with some of the biggest coins of the year to come from it. While they are not showing signs of slowing down, this next release rounding out the month will surely put some at ease as far as availability is concerned. Scheduled for 12 pm EST tomorrow, the third American Innovation $1 coin for 2021 will be available for purchase.
The eleventh coin in the multi-years series that started with an introductory coin in 2018 and has released four coins a year since will be featured in 25-coin rolls and 100-coin bags from both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The aim of the program is to honor innovation and innovators by issuing coins for each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories.
Honoring the Erie Canal, the reverse design depicts a packet boat being pulled from the city in the East toward areas in the West. The canal was completed in 1825 and consists of a 363-mile long waterway connecting Lake Erie in the West and the Hudson River in the East. Completely man made, the canal is considered to be the biggest engineering marvel of its time as it played a role in the development of New York State and the nation as a whole. It helped to expand trade and settlement out West.
The obverse will be the same one seen on all the coins as it features a representation of the Statue of Liberty with the inscriptions “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “$1”. There is also a privy mark in the form of a stylized gear symbolizing industry and innovation. The edge of the coins will feature the 2021 date as well as the mint mark (either “P” or “D” in this case) and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”