It's time for a quick look at another of the special packaging options produced by the US Mint for one of its modern commemorative coins - the 2005 US Marine Corps 230th Anniversary
Coin and Stamp Set.The Set featured an uncirculated example of the silver dollar, along with a mint 3-cent Iwo Jima stamp that was issued by the US Post Office Department on July 11, 1945; the stamp was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP).
The Mariner Corps silver dollars went on sale on July 20, 2005, with a first day of release ceremony held at the Quantico Army Base in Quantico, Virginia. The silver dollar was the first US commemorative coin to honor a branch of the US military - in the ensuing years, military-themed commemorative coins became a regular occurrence.
Note: A US Army officer (i.e., General George McClellan) was previously honored on the 1937 Battle of Antietam 75th Anniversary half dollar, but the coin did not commemorate an overall military branch.The obverse of the coin depicts the famous flag raising scene atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima as captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945. Norman E. Nesmith created the design based on the Rosenthal photograph.
Iwo Jima Flag Raising Photograph
(Image Credit: Image courtesy of US National Archives, Department of the Navy.)2005 US Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Silver Dollar
The coin's reverse presents the official Eagle, Globe and Anchor emblem of the United States Marine Corps; the emblem has been in place since 1868. The design is the work of Charles L. Vickers.
History has revealed that the Rosenthal photograph is not that of the first flag raised on Iwo Jima . Rosenthal's photograph is of the second flag raised, the one raised in the afternoon - it is of the larger flag that replaced the smaller flag that had been raised in the morning. This led some to claim that the photograph was staged, but these claims are inaccurate. Rosenthal photographed what was available to him and was not responsible for setting it up.
After running in newspapers across the country, Rosenthal's photograph and its image proved very popular with the American public. So much so, in fact, it was soon used on a poster of the US Department of the Treasury to promote the purchase of war bonds to support the war effort.
Treasury Department War Bonds Poster - 1945
The Iwo Jima Memorial Statue was dedicated in Washington, DC on November 10, 1954 by President Eisenhower. It was a three-dimensional recreation of the Rosenthal photograph. The Memorial's flagpole is 60 feet in length, the soldiers raising it stand about 32 feet tall and the overall height of the Memorial is approximately 78 feet.
Marine Corps Memorial at Dusk, Washington, DC
The Coin and Stamp Set is comprised of two components: an outer slipcase and a four-panel folder that houses the coin and stamp. The front cover of the slipcase features the Iwo Jima Memorial, along with the text "UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS 1775 - 2005" at left. The back cover of the slipcase includes the coin's Certificate of Authenticity, a brief description of the coin's designs and information about the included Iwo Jima stamp.
2005 Marine Corps Coin and Stamp Set - Slipcase - Front Cover
2005 Marine Corps Coin and Stamp Set - Slipcase - Back Cover
The front cover of the coin folder is essentially the same as the front cover of the slipcase, but adds a window for display of the reverse side of the silver dollar.
2005 Marine Corps Coin and Stamp Set - Folder - Front Cover
The interior panels of the folder present the obverse of the coin and the Iwo Jima stamp from 1945 on the left, with introductory information about history of the Marine Corps and the Iwo Jima Memorial on the right,
2005 Marine Corps Coin and Stamp Set - Folder - Inside-Top Panel
2005 Marine Corps Coin and Stamp Set - Folder - Inside-Bottom Panel
The back cover of the folder includes the famous
Marines' Hymm and a brief description of the Marine emblem (shown on the coin's reverse).
2005 Marine Corps Coin and Stamp Set - Folder - Back Cover
The silver dollar was available individually in Proof and Uncirculated versions. The Proof had a total mintage of 414,250; the Uncirculated mintage totaled 184,231 (including those in the Set). The Coin and Stamp Set had total sales of 49,671 (out of a 50,000 limit). The Set was a sell out, the 329 units not sold were a mix of damaged/returned/unsaleable units.
The Proof coin sold for $35 - Introductory price/$39 - Regular price; the prices for the Uncirculated version of the coin were $33/$35. The Coin and Stamp Sets sold for $40.00. In today's market, the Coin and Stamp Set generally sells for between $40 and $60, though prices above and below this range will also be encountered.
Posted 06/10/2021 4:34 pm
