The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) have recommended designs for the commemorative March of Dimes Silver Dollar.
Shown are some of the 2015 March of Dimes Silver Dollar design candidates. Images of all 40 designs are below, to include those recommended by the CFA and CCAC.
In 2015, the United States Mint will strike and sell up to 500,000 silver dollars in collector proof and uncirculated qualities to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the March of Dimes Foundation. The coins are authorized by the March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act, Public Law 112-209, which passed Congress and was signed into law by President Obama on Dec. 18, 2012.
Established on Jan. 3, 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the then named National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis was created to combat the polio epidemic. Now called the March of Dimes in remembrance of public fund-raising campaigns to contribute dimes for support, the foundation’s mission has refocused as it works to reduce the incidence of preterm birth, infant mortality, birth defects, and lifelong disabilities and disorders.
Recommended Designs
Public Law 112-209 states that designs of the silver dollar must have themes representing the past, present, and future of the March of Dimes and its role as champion for all babies. With that in mind, 40 candidate designs were created — 22 for the obverse and 18 for the reverse.
The CFA reviewed them on May 15, and the CCAC went through them today, May 19. Recommendations for each body diverged, though each selected designs that the March of Dimes preferred over others.
CFA recommended obverse and reverse designs for the 2015 March of Dimes Silver Dollar
CFA’s choice for the silver dollar obverse, candidate design MOD-O-09, features a Roosevelt dime, a dime board used to collect contributions to the March of Dimes, and Dr. Jonas Edward Salk who discovered and developed the first successful anti-polio vaccine. The CFA liked candidate design MOD-R-16 for the reverse, which features two fingers sliding a 1946 Roosevelt dime into a donation card, and a pair of empty children’s polio braces. In changes to both designs, the CFA recommended that the dime board on the obverse move to the reverse, replacing the two fingers.
CCAC recommended obverse and reverse designs for the 2015 March of Dimes Silver Dollar
Two obverse silver dollar designs rose to the top in CCAC voting. Candidate design MOD-O-14 earned one more vote than MOD-O-15, but eventually lost after a motion passed to select MOD-O-15 as a majority of members felt it paired better with the chosen reverse. The selected design features a double portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dr. Jonas Salk. The CCAC’s recommended reverse, MOD-R-7, symbolizes a mother’s love for her child and was inspired by the many success stories of the March of Dimes.
The Treasury Secretary will make the final decisions with all recommendations considered after consulting with the March of Dimes. The two winning designs will be announced later this year.
Line art images of all 40 designs appear below. Captions under some images offer further information, such as whether they were preferred by the March of Dimes.
Obverse 2015 March of Dimes Silver Dollar Design Candidates
Here are images of the 22 proposed obverse (heads side) silver dollar designs:
Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-01Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-02Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-03Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-04Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-05Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-06Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-07Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-08Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-09. As described above, the Commission of Fine Arts recommended this design for the obverse. It is also one of the designs preferred by the March of Dimes.Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-10Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-11Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-12Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-13. The March of Dimes also liked this obverse. It features a portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Roosevelt dime and inside a petri dish, Dr. Salk extracting the anti-polio mellitus vaccine.Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-14. This design originally garnered the most votes from the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, but a later motion discarded it for the next design, MOD-O-15. MOD-O-14 is also one of the designs preferred by the March of Dimes. In addition to elements seen in the previous design, it includes a double helix.Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-15. As described above, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee recommended this design featuring double portraits of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dr. Jonas Edward Salk. It was also a favorite of the March of Dimes.Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-16Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-17Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-18Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-19Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-20Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-21Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-O-22
Reverse 2015 March of Dimes Silver Dollar Design Candidates
Here are images of the 18 proposed reverse (tails side) silver dollar designs:
Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-01Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-02Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-03Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-04Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-05Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-06Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-07. As described above, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee recommended this design and it was one of the designs preferred by the March of Dimes.Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-08Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-09Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-10Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-11. This design was one of those preferred by the March of Dimes and it was in contention with the Commission of Fine Arts. It lost out to MOD-R-16.Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-12Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-13.Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-14Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-15Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-16. As described above, the Commission of Fine Arts recommended this design for the silver dollar reverse.Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-17Commemorative Coin Design Candidate MOD-R-18
The CFA never ceases continually to amaze, they chose two of the busiest designs that are basically storyboards attempting to form a narrative rather than focusing on what a good design should look like. Too much information on so small a surface as a silver dollar. However, the CCAC got it right, simple iconic imagery with the conjoined portraits coupled with an attractive reverse that will be easy to coin in proof or uncirculated, and look great as a finished product. O-20 is very clever and since the focus has been on dimes, this might make a special one-year circulation… Read more »
jp
10 years ago
MOD-O 16 gets the point home and politically non offensive to anyone. I think.
We have to be politically correct nowadays
Beginning Jan. 2, 2025, prices for United States Mint clad products for collectors will increase. The adjustment reflects rising material and labor costs over...
mod-o- 21 gets my vote
Mod-R-02 for the reverse gets my vote.
The CFA never ceases continually to amaze, they chose two of the busiest designs that are basically storyboards attempting to form a narrative rather than focusing on what a good design should look like. Too much information on so small a surface as a silver dollar. However, the CCAC got it right, simple iconic imagery with the conjoined portraits coupled with an attractive reverse that will be easy to coin in proof or uncirculated, and look great as a finished product. O-20 is very clever and since the focus has been on dimes, this might make a special one-year circulation… Read more »
MOD-O 16 gets the point home and politically non offensive to anyone. I think.
We have to be politically correct nowadays
MOD-O 16 is by far the best. Hands down!