In conjunction with the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money event, the Coin of the Year awards ceremony was held on August 9th at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. There were 10 awards handed out for coins that stood out and above in their design and innovation. One of those awards, titled, “Best Gold Coin,” was given to the United States Mint for its design of the 2023 American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin.
Containing .9999 fine 24 KT gold and struck in high relief with a Proof finish, the coin stood out for its modern interpretation of the concept of American liberty. The $100 denomination gold coin features the bristlecone pine, which is a tree species native to California, Nevada, and Utah. Thought to be one of the oldest living organisms on Earth, the bristlecone pines grow where other plants cannot and are often the first to repopulate after destructive and calamitous changes occur like lava run or glacial runoff. Inscriptions on the obverse design, which was sculpted by Joseph Menna and designed by Elana Hagler (AIP [Artistic Infusion Program]), read “LIBERTY,” “WE SHALL PERSEVERE,” “P (for Philadelphia),” and “2023.” The reverse, which features a young bald eagle standing on a rock moments before taking flight, includes the inscription “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.” It was designed and sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist John P. McGraw.
Half of the COTY nominating committee endorsed this coin, which is said to be unusual with a 30% gap between it and the next closest in the Best Gold Coin category. The final ballot was distributed with the top five coins, with the American Liberty Through Perserverance Gold Coin the clear-cut winner.
The COTY program is conducted internationally and has a total of 10 categories including Most Historically Significant Coin, Best Contemporary Event Coin, Best Gold Coin, Best Silver Coin, Best Crown Coin, Best Circulating Coin, Best Bi-Metallic Coin, Most Artistic Coin, Most Innovative Coin, and Most Inspirational Coin. There was a record number of submissions this year with over 600 coins debated by the committee, eventually settling to COTY 100 which breaks down into 10 coins per category.
Source: United States Mint; Numismatic News