Commemorative coins will be issued in 2015 by the United States Mint to mark the 225th Anniversary of the U.S. Marshals Service. As part of the process leading to that release, multiple design candidates have been created and are getting reviewed.
In total, forty-seven different design candidates were unveiled by the U.S. Mint. While that number may seem high, the designs are spread across the obverses and reverses of the gold, silver and clad commemoratives.
Breaking the large number down finds that five designs are for the gold coin obverse with eleven for the reverse. Another five will be reviewed for the obverse of the silver coin with eleven also for the reverse. Finally, six unique images were designed for the clad obverse and nine for its reverse.
Before showing line art images all the design candidates (jump to them now), perhaps a bit of background is in order. These coins are authorized under the United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act, Public Law 112-104. The Act became law after it was signed by President Obama on April 2, 2012.
Public Law 112-104 directs the U.S. Mint to produce and sell up to 100,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 silver dollars and 750,000 clad half dollars as part of the commemorative program. The collector proof and uncirculated quality coins must be emblematic of the 225 years of achievements of the U.S. Marshals Service, America’s first Federal law enforcement agency.
Before the coins can be struck, however, the final imagery must be chosen with the design candidates competing in a selection process. This process, in part, includes reviews by the United States Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee. These two bodies are tasked in reviewing potential designs for American coinage and medals. Based on their comments and suggestions, minor tweaks may be made to designs before the United States Mint offers its recommendations to the Treasury Secretary. The Secretary of the Treasury is tasked with making final selections.
Offered below are the 47 different design candidates released for the United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coins.
2015 $5 Gold US Marshals Service Commemorative Coin Design Candidates
The obverse of the gold coins is required by the authorizing legislation to bear an image of the United States Marshals Service Star. As such, these five design candidates contain the service star along with other design elements.
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For the reverse of the gold coins, a design emblematic of the sacrifice and service of the men and women of the United States Marshals Service is required. In addition, the Marshals Service motto ‘Justice, Integrity, Service’ is to appear.
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2015 $1 Silver US Marshals Service Commemorative Coin Design Candidates
Like the gold coin, the silver dollar obverse must also bear an image of the United States Marshals Service Star, also known as ‘America’s Star’.
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The silver dollar reverse image is to be emblematic of the United States Marshals legendary status in America’s cultural landscape including frontier lawmen and the Marshals Service motto ‘Justice, Integrity, Service’.
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2015 50c US Marshals Service Commemorative Coin Design Candidates
The clad obverse is required to only be emblematic of the service.
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As for the reverse, Congress dictated that it be an image consistent with the role that the United States Marshals played in a changing nation. Suggested themes included the Whiskey Rebellion and the rule of law; slavery and the legacy of inequality; and the struggle between labor and capital.
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US Marshals Service Commemorative Coin Surcharges
Surcharges of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver dollar and $5 per clad coin will be collected on the sale of each with the first $5,000,000 payable to the U.S. Marshals Museum for the preservation, maintenance, and display of artifacts and documents. Remaining funds are to be divided equally between the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
Design Candidate – USM-S-R-06 would be the nicest design to hit the comm coin market in years. Which means of course the CFA and the CCAC will reject it outright and give us the dumbest, PC design they can come up with.
I vote for USM-G-O-03, USM-G-R-11 (not that many coin designs have a flying eagle), USM-S-O-04, don’t care for any of the silver reverses except maybe for USM-S-R-10, and none of the clad designs O or R appeal to me.
For the silver dollar I’d vote for USM-S-O-03 and more importantly for the reverse USM-S-R-06. The eagle flying talons extended above the Marshal has a really impressive look to it.
I heard one of these eagle designs could be used on the new Silver Eagle they are talking about.
Who’s “they”? First I’ve heard of a new silver eagle. Is all this just rumor?
Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee. Not a rumor.
I hope that the CCAC keeps to the old west feel of these coins… My vote; G-O-03 with G-R-10 or 11, S-R-06, or 10,S-O-04 or 05, and love the front of C-O-03.