Concepts Wanted for San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin
Colorado Springs, Colorado – The American Money & Gold Rush Museum, in partnership with the American Numismatic Association is accepting conceptual design submissions for a commemorative $5 gold coin and a $1 silver coin as part of the San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act.
The minting of the coins will commemorate the Old U.S. Mint at San Francisco, and direct proceeds from the coins’ sales will help establish the American Money & Gold Rush Museum, a world-class money museum inside the Old Mint.
The winning concept will be forwarded to the U.S. Mint for consideration in the selection of a design for the coins emblematic of the San Francisco Old Mint to celebrate its importance to early California and the development of the west. Next year will mark the centennial of the building’s survival of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire and its role in rebuilding San Francisco and the West coast. For more information and general design guidelines, visit www.money.org and click on AMGRM.
Submissions must include a narrative and sketch and should be emailed to coinconcept@money.org, or mailed to: Coin Concept, c/o ANA, 818 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903. The submission deadline is December 31, 2005. The judging panel will include AMGRM President and ANA Governor Donald H. Kagin, ANA Executive Director Chris Cipoletti, CoinWorld Editor Beth Deisher, and COINage Editor Marcy Gibbel.
AMGRM, which would be created in conjunction with the San Francisco Historical Society Museum, will be dedicated to telling the story of money in all forms, with a special emphasis on the American Gold Rushes and their impact on numismatics, and on minting processes.
The San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Act has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and awaits approval by the Senate as Senate Bill 1881. The bill would authorize the U.S. mint to issue 100,000 $5 gold coins and 500,000 $1 silver coins emblematic of the Old Mint, commonly known as “The Granite Lady.”
Everyone is urged to contact their U.S. Senators now and ask them to support the bill to allow the commemorative coins to be minted. “If the bill is not passed this session of Congress, we may not get another chance,” warned Kagin. Talking points and sample letters and emails may also be found on www.money.org.
Originally Release Date: December 2, 2005
ANA Contacts: Phone: 719-482-9864
Email: beeton@money.org