Commems Collection Modern: 2011 Medal Of Honor - The Coins

Continuing the Medal of Honor ("MoH") coin discussion...

Navy Medal of Honor, Circa 1918

(Image Credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Harris & Ewing)

The 2011 Congressional Medal of Honor commemorative coin program featured a Gold Half Eagle and a Silver Dollar - but NO Copper-Nickel ("CuNi") Clad Half Dollar. It was not one of the Mint's most popular coin programs (see below).

I added the Uncirculated versions of each coin to my collection. The Silver Dollar sent to me was particularly satiny in appearance.

Gold Half Eagle



On its obverse, the Gold Half Eagle renders the original 1861 Medal of Honor authorized by Congress. As noted previously, the medal was originally awarded as the Navy's highest personal decoration.

The medal is dominated by a gold five-pointed star. At the center of the star is seen Minerva (Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, symbolic of the US) battling Discordia, the Roman goddess of strife, discord (particularly during wartime) and disagreement.

The star hangs from an anchor hanger and is attached to a ribbon representing a US Shield. The MoH is flanked by the sesquicentennial anniversary dates "1861" and "2011".

The coin's reverse also depicts Minerva., accompanied by multiple US Civil War era items. She is shown striding forward, with a US Shield in her right hand and Union Flag on a pole in her left. Behind her to the right (viewer's perspective) is a piece of Civil War-era field artillery, to the left is a piece of siege artillery from the same era; cannonballs of corresponding size are seen near each artillery piece. Five arrows are also seen behind Minerva

Though 100,000 of the Gold Half Eagles were authorized, just 26,232 (~26.2%) were sold/distributed. The coin went on sale to the public on February 25, 2011. Its Pre-Issue/Introductory price was $449.95 for the Proof version and $439.95 for the Uncirculated version. Regular prices kicked in at the close-of-business ("COB") on March 28, 2009 with the Proof coin price then set at $454.95 and the Unicirculated version at $444.95.

US Mint Medallic Artist Joseph Menna was the designer and sculptor of the coin's obverse. The reverse design was created by the US Mint's Artistic Infusion Project ("AIP") artist Joel Iskowwitz, it was sculpted by US Mint Medallic Artist Michael Gaudioso.


Silver Dollar



The obverse of the Silver Dollar presents the three current Medals of Honor for the Army, Navy and Air Force (left to right). Each hangs from a ribbon with a field of 13 stars at its center; the ribbon is common to the medals of all three service branches.

The coin's reverse depicts a modern-era infantry soldier carrying a wounded soldier to safety under enemy fire. It is representative of the "courage, selfless sacrifice and patriotism of Medal of Honor recipients, as well as the criteria established by Congress in 1963 requiring that all Medals of Honor be awarded only for heroic action in combat." (US Mint description).

500,000 Silver Dollars were authorized, but just 157,585 (~31.5%) were sold/distributed. As with the Gold Half Eagle, the Silver Dollar went on sale to the public on February 25, 2011. Its Pre-Issue/Introductory price was $54.95 for the Proof version and $49.95 for the Uncirculated version. Regular prices became effective at COB on March 28, 2009 with the Proof coin price increased to $59.95 and the Unicirculated version at $54.95.

US Mint Medallic Artist Jim Licaretz was the designer and sculptor of the coin's obverse. The reverse design was created by the US Mint's Artistic Infusion Project ("AIP") artist Richard Master, it was sculpted by US Mint Medallic Artist Phebe Hemphill.

You can read this MoH coin story from its start here:

- 2011 Medal of Honor - The Journey / Part I


If you'd like to explore the use of stars on the coins, check out:

- Coins Depicting Stars - MoH Gold Half Eagle

- Coins Depicting Stars - MoH Silver Dollar


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more Modern Commemorative stories, see: Commems Collection