US Mint - The United States recently earned top honors in two coin design categories at the World Money Fair in Berlin, Germany. United States Mint (Mint) officials accepted two Coin of the Year (COTY) Awards on behalf of the Nation. The U.S. won in the category of Best Circulating Coin for its America the Beautiful Program quarter honoring Kisatchie National Forest and in the category of Most Inspirational Coin for its March of Dimes Silver Dollar commemorative coin.
"The designers, sculptors and engravers of the Mint comprise the very best talent in the numismatic industry," said David Motl, Acting Principal Deputy Director of the Mint. "Artists are an indispensable part of the coin production process and the Mint congratulates them on this well-deserved recognition."
The March of Dimes Silver Dollar, which celebrates the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the March of Dimes Foundation, includes a reverse (tails side) that was designed and sculpted by sculptor-engraver
Don Everhart, who has been with the Mint since 2004. The obverse (heads side) of the coin features the profiles of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dr. Jonas Salk, two leaders in the fight against polio, and was designed by Paul Balan, a member of the Artistic Infusing Program (AIP) since 2010 and sculpted by Mint sculptor-engraver Michael Gaudioso, who has been with the Mint since 2009.
The America the Beautiful Program quarter honoring Kisatchie National Forest features a wild turkey in flight over blue stem grass with long leaf pine in the background on the reverse. The design is by
Susan Gamble, who was part of the AIP from 2004 until her death in 2015. Sculptor-engraver
Joseph Menna, who joined the Mint in 2005, sculpted the design.
The COTY Awards recognize artistic talent among 10 design categories. A panel of international judges selects from coins issued two years prior to the year of the award. Both of the coins were issued in 2015 and are no longer available from the Mint.
Posted 02/07/2017 10:48 pm
