U.S. Mint commemorative coins will be issued in 2019 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American Legion. Sixty-three design candidates were created for the commemoratives as part of the process leading to their release.
CoinNews is playing catch-up with these designs as the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) reviewed them back in mid-March. (The CFA lacked a quorum during their March meeting but confirmed their selections during their April 19 meeting.)
The Legion (www.legion.org) was charted by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic organization for veterans. It quickly grew into one of the largest veteran’s service organization in the United States.
As directed by the American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act (Public Law 115-65), the U.S. Mint in 2019 will produce up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, a maximum of 400,000 silver dollars, and no more than 750,000 clad half-dollars in proof and uncirculated collector qualities with designs emblematic of the veterans organization.
Below are U.S. Mint images and descriptions of the candidate designs for the coins. The Legion’s liaison, CFA and CCAC recommendations are provided as well.
2019 $5 Gold Coin Candidate Designs – Obverse
Twelve obverse (heads) designs for the gold coins were submitted for review.
AL-G-O-01 features a young boy looking up to a veteran in an American Legion hat. The man has his hand on the boy’s shoulder as though to guide him. In the background is a waving flag. The design represents three of the four pillars of the American Legion: Americanism, Veterans, and Children and Youth. It connects the American Legion’s legacy of accomplishment with its vision for the future. Additional inscriptions are "The American Legion" and "100 Years."
AL-G-O-02 illustrates one of the four pillars of the American Legion: Children and Youth. The design features a young boy looking up at the American Flag. The flag waving high overhead is symbolic of the strength and freedom of the United States, and the young man looks to it with pride and happiness. The additional inscription reads "100 Years of The American Legion."
AL-G-O-03 commemorates the inception of the American Legion and its mission to serve America and its war veterans. The outer geometric rim design from the American Legion emblem, the Eiffel Tower, and V for victory represent the formation of the organization in Paris in 1919 at the end of World War I.
The CFA, CCAC, and the Legion’s liaison recommended the above design, candidate AL-G-O-03, for the $5 obverse.
AL-G-O-04 depicts a male Legionnaire saluting and a female Legionnaire placing her hand over her heart. The five stars in the background represent the five major branches of the U.S. military and the veterans whom the American Legion serves and supports.
AL-G-O-05 depicts the American Legion’s emblem, a symbol "that stands for God and Country, and the highest rights of man."
AL-G-O-06 depicts a flag being handed to a child to symbolize the members’ enduring dedication to passing on the Legion’s principles and standards to future generations.
AL-G-O-07 and AL-G-O-08 represent the American Legion’s ceremonial reverence for the American Flag. In parades, public performances, and flag disposal ceremonies in nearly every town in the country, they are the visible stamp of patriotism in our communities. Design 07 features a flag bearer with the American Flag and a rifleman. Design 08 features a single flag bearer.
AL-G-O-09, AL-G-O-10, and AL-G-O-11 depict a member of the American Legion saluting to show respect and to honor God and Country. In designs 09 and 10, a stylized American Flag is visible behind him. All three designs feature five stars to represent the five major branches of the U.S. military and the veterans whom the American Legion serves and supports.
AL-G-O-12 depicts the distinctive crest of the American Legion cap, with an American Legion pin and the centennial year embroidered in place of the unit number. The additional inscription reads "The American Legion."
2019 $5 Gold Coin Candidate Designs – Reverse
Ten reverse (tails) designs for the gold coins were submitted for review.
AL-G-R-01 features the emblem of the American Legion surrounded by four columns representing the Four Pillars of the American Legion: Veterans, Youth, Americanism, and Defense.
AL-G-R-02 features four columns representing the Four Pillars of the American Legion: Veterans, Children and Youth, Americanism, and Defense. The flag waving high overhead symbolizes the strength and freedom of the United States. The design prominently features the American Legion’s motto, "For God and Country."
AL-G-R-03 features four simple vertical bars, symbolic pillars representing the Four Pillars of the American Legion. The seven stars are symbolic of the seven war eras that members of the American Legion have served since 1919. Together, these design elements represent the United States Flag. The design prominently features the motto "For God and Country."
AL-G-R-04 portrays a respectful presentation of a properly folded American Flag, according to the American Legion Flag Code. This display of honor for the American Flag, which represents the ideals of justice, freedom, and democracy for which our veterans fought, represents the American Legion’s service to the nation. The additional inscription reads "For God and Country."
The CCAC, and initially the Legion’s liaison, recommended the above design, candidate AL-G-R-04, for the $5 reverse.
AL-G-R-05 depicts a wreath from the emblem of the American Legion, presented in memory of those who gave their lives in the service of the United States that liberty might endure. The five symbolic stars represent the five branches of the U.S. military and the veterans whom the American Legion serves and supports. At the center of the design is the inscription "For God and Country."
AL-G-R-06 visually expresses the strength and resiliency of the phrase – For God and Country – as a monumental sculpture that is majestically carved onto the face of a large land formation characteristic of the American West. The phrase is the American Legion’s motto.
AL-G-R-07 features the memorial poppy, which has officially symbolized the Legion’s unwavering dedication to recognition of, and support for, veterans’ issues. There have been many iterations of the appearance of this symbol over the nearly full century of use for this purpose. This design portrays the poppy as it was distributed in the 1950s and 1960s, which represents upholding the same core values of previous generations while still embracing the future. The inscription "In Memoriam" has been incused on the Legion identifier tag.
AL-G-R-08 depicts an American Legion cap, featuring the Eiffel Tower to indicate the American Legion’s founding in Paris, a poppy, and the Legion emblem. The laurel wreath is representative of the wreath in the American Legion emblem, and the star is prominent in the American Legion Auxiliary logo. The additional inscription reads "The American Legion."
AL-G-R-09 features a female Legionnaire placing her hand over her heart to show respect and to honor God and Country. The stylized American Flag represents Americanism, and the five visible stars represent the five branches of the U.S. military and the veterans whom the American Legion serves and supports.
AL-G-R-10 features a folded United States Flag and the motto of the American Legion, "For God and Country."
2019 Silver Dollar Candidate Designs – Obverse
Thirteen obverse (heads) designs for the silver dollars were submitted for review.
AL-S-O-02 depicts a WWII American solider standing guard before the United States Flag, our nation’s primary symbol of liberty and freedom. The additional inscription reads "The American Legion."
AL-S-O-03 depicts a member of the American Legion and a youthful helper pausing to share a contemplative moment before they replace a tattered and worn American Flag for a fallen serviceman.
AL-S-O-04A, B, and C depict a seated Lady Liberty, symbolic of America and its values. In design A, four columns represent the four pillars of the American Legion. In design B, a small Eiffel Tower represents the birthplace of the American Legion. In design C, an American eagle represents the organization’s link to the United States. The additional inscriptions read "American Legion" and "100 Years."
AL-S-O-05 depicts the American Legion emblem adorned by oak leaves and a lily, commemorating the founding of the American Legion in Paris, France.
The CFA, CCAC, and the Legion’s liaison recommended the above design, candidate AL-S-O-05, for the silver dollar’s obverse.
AL-S-O-06 features Lady Liberty, the mother of democracy, commemorating the victory and homecoming of the American Expeditionary Forces upon their return from Europe following World War I. She holds a branch of oak denoting the strength and solidarity of our nation. She wears a crown of laurel to signify her honor. On her chest is an American shield representing love of country. The Legion emblem and lily represent the American Legion’s formation in Paris, France.
AL-S-O-07 portrays the diversity of the members of the American Legion with three portraits. A wreath of poppy flowers surrounds the portraits. The additional inscription reads "The American Legion."
AL-S-O-08 depicts the portraits of two American Legion members, one older and one younger veteran, an image that alludes to the organization’s 100 years of service to America, from WWI to the conflicts of today, including the global war on terrorism. The additional inscription reads "Still Serving America."
AL-S-O-09 depicts a WWI soldier helping a wounded soldier. The figures walk among poppies, which the American Legion Auxiliary established as a symbol of fallen veterans.
AL-S-O-10 and AL-S-O-11 depict a typical WWI soldier with a historic symbol of Paris, the Arc de Triomphe, representing the formation of the American Legion by members of the American Expeditionary Force in Paris in 1919. The additional inscription reads "The American Legion."Design 10 also features the inscription "100 Years" and a modern-day American Legion member saluting the founders and their foresight.
AL-S-O-12 features four pillars representing the four pillars of the American Legion. The fleur-de-lis commemorates the formation of the American Legion in Paris.
2019 Silver Dollar Candidate Designs – Reverse
Eleven reverse (tails) designs for the silver dollars were submitted for review.
AL-S-R-01 features the wreath from the American Legion emblem, "in loving memory of those brave comrades who gave their lives in the service of the United States that liberty might endure." The star, victory symbol of World War I, also symbolizes honor, glory, and consistency. The 48-star flag on the left was our flag during the founding of the American Legion; the 50-star flag is our current flag. The four stars represent the four pillars of the American Legion. The additional inscription reads "Still Serving America."
AL-S-R-02 features the wreath from the American Legion emblem, "in loving memory of those brave comrades who gave their lives in the service of the United States that liberty might endure." The star, victory symbol of World War I, also symbolizes honor, glory, and consistency. The 48-star flag flies in the center. This was the flag at the time of the founding of the American Legion. The additional inscription reads "Still Serving America."
AL-S-R-03 depicts the American Legion emblem atop the Legion’s four pillars of Veterans, Americanism, Children and Youth, and Defense.
AL-S-R-04 features a Bald Eagle with the American Legion motto "For God and Country," representing the vigilance of the American Legion’s stewardship of flags and monuments for our soldiers who make the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States of America. The additional inscription reads "The American Legion."
AL-S-R-05 depicts a symbolic memorial to all of the heroes who have died defending our nation.
AL-S-R-06 features Lady Liberty holding the Palm of Victory as she welcomes the American Expeditionary Forces returning from Europe. Her torch represents enlightenment and wisdom. The heraldic eagle on her chest symbolizes our vigor and eminence.
AL-S-R-07 depicts a soaring eagle, a symbol of the United States during times of war and peace alike. The American Legion emblem is depicted above the eagle.
The CFA recommended, and the Legion’s liaison later agreed, that the above candidate, AL-S-R-07, was the best design for the $5’s reverse, adding:
Members "agreed with the liaison that this reverse design, featuring an eagle along with the American Legion seal, would be thematically preferable to the funereal associations of the folded American flag depicted on the reverse preferred by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. The Commission also supported the Mint’s intended modifications of this reverse to revise the denomination and the scale of the ‘E Pluribus Unum’ text within the composition in order to be legible on the smaller-sized gold coin.}
AL-S-R-08 depicts the same two veterans from AL-S-O-08. The man is wheelchair-bound from injuries incurred long ago during his wartime service, and the woman is a healthcare professional who is attending to him. Combined, the designs design convey the message that a strong national defense begins with the lifelong care our veterans need and deserve upon completing their service to our nation. The additional inscription reads "Taking Care of Our Veterans."
AL-S-R-09 combines the American Legion emblem with a poppy flower, symbolizing veterans and their service to the nation.
AL-S-R-10 features selected elements of the American Legion emblem. The wreath forms the center, "in loving memory of those brave comrades who gave their lives in the service of the United States that liberty might endure." The star, victory symbol of World War I, also symbolizes honor, glory, and consistency in the emblem. The central element is the red poppy, which came to symbolize the blood shed during World War I. The four stars represent the four pillars of the American Legion. The additional inscription reads "Still Serving America."
AL-S-R-11 represents the founding of the American Legion in Paris in 1919. Above the crossed American and American Legion flags are simplified elements of the Arc de Triomphe and the inscription "100 Years of Service."
The CFA, CCAC, and the Legion’s liaison recommended the above design, candidate AL-S-R-11, for the silver dollar’s reverse. The CFA added:
"For the reverse, they supported the suggestion to replace the central architectural ornament within the decorative arch with a fleur-de-lis symbol, as shown in other designs such as silver obverse #6; they added that the fleur-de-lis should appear to be disengaged from the arch to avoid implying that these elements are part of a single architectural composition."
2019 Half Dollar Candidate Designs – Obverse
Seven obverse (heads) designs for the half dollars were submitted for review.
AL-C-O-01 depicts two young participants in one of the many programs the American Legion offers as they begin their event with the Pledge of Allegiance. The additional inscription reads "American Legion Youth."
AL-C-O-02 depicts a woman wearing an American Legion cap standing between two smiling children, with her hands on their backs in a gesture of support. This trio is meant to symbolize the support that the American Legion gives to young people through a multitude of programs, embodying the American Legion’s fourth pillar of Children and Youth. The additional inscription reads "The American Legion."
AL-C-O-03 features a young man receiving a flag from American Legion members. The work of American Legion members to serve youth and promote civics and patriotism inspires the design. It also recalls the Legion’s work in developing the Flag Code and providing services for the families of veterans.
AL-C-O-04 features a young family reuniting following the father’s return from service. The work of the American Legion to serve active duty military and their families inspires the design. The design recalls the Legion members’ own service to our country in different places, different times, and different conflicts.
AL-C-O-05 depicts two children standing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the little girl proudly wearing her grandfather’s old American Legion hat. The additional inscription reads "I pledge allegiance to the flag…"
The CFA, CCAC, and the Legion’s liaison recommended the above design, candidate AL-C-O-05, for the half dollar’s obverse. The CFA added:
"For the obverse, they suggested further study of the rendering of the girl’s face to improve its artistic quality."
AL-C-O-06 features a wounded veteran in a wheelchair, proudly wearing his medals and American Legion cap while holding the Flag, the symbol of the country he still serves. The additional inscription reads "American Legion."
AL-C-O-07 depicts the Lamp of Knowledge over the Constitution’s "We the People" script, representing the American Legion’s promotion of knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and commitment to Americanism, one of the Four Pillars.
2019 Half Dollar Candidate Designs – Reverse
Ten reverse (tails) designs for the half dollars were submitted for review.
AL-C-R-01 and AL-C-R-02 feature the wreath from the American Legion emblem, in loving memory of those brave comrades who gave their lives in the service of the United States that liberty might endure. The star, victory symbol of World War I, also symbolizes honor, glory, and consistency. Design 01 features the beginning of the Pledge of Allegiance, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands…" as well as the additional inscription "For God and Country." Design 02 features the center of the American Legion emblem and the additional inscription "Still Serving America." Design 03 features selected text from the Preamble to the American Legion’s constitution, "A Devotion to Mutual Helpfulness, One-Hundred Percent Americanism, Promote Peace and Good Will, Make Right the Master of Might," as well as the inscription "For God and Country."
AL-C-R-04 features a man wearing an American Legion cap standing and saluting the American Flag. This gesture symbolizes the American Legion’s commitment to 100% Americanism (one of the Four Pillars), as well as the members’ military service.
AL-C-R-05A and AL-C-R-05B feature a wreath created by a series of hands supporting each other. The hands become successively smaller moving from bottom to top, signifying the Legion’s programs established to care for the families of veterans, youth, and children. The single rose at the base is a symbol of caring, the motive for the work done on behalf of veterans, families, youth, children, and communities. The additional inscription on both designs reads "American Legion." Design A additionally features the inscription "For God and Country." Design B additionally features the inscription "Mutual Helpfulness."
AL-C-R-06 completes the phrase from AL-C-O-05, "I pledge allegiance to the flag… of the United States of America." The design depicts an American Flag waving atop a high flagpole as seen from the children’s point-of-view from the ground below. The American Legion’s emblem is featured just above the flag.
The CFA, CCAC, and the Legion’s liaison recommended the above, candidate AL-C-R-06, for the half dollar’s reverse.
AL-C-R-07 depicts a wreath placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and balances the idea of serving survivors with the concept of honoring the fallen. Inscribed upon the Tomb are the words "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God."
AL-C-R-08 depicts the Four Pillars of the American Legion. The four pillars are inscribed "Youth," "Veterans," "Defense," and "Americanism." The light of the sun conveys both illumination and the passage of time, accented by "100 Years" at the top of the columns.
AL-C-R-09 depicts a wreath with the inscription "Rest in Honored Glory," representing the American Legion’s work of serving survivors and honoring the fallen.
Second Commemorative Program for 2019
The commemorative coin program is the second and final for 2019, joining dome-shaped Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coins (see their obverse and reverse designs.)
Good subject but is it needed? $1 looks like a recycle of the US Marshall $1
Looks like a lot of really nice designs here. Much better than what I have seen in the past few years for commemorative’s. Has the Mint gone out and found some new artists?
I like a lot of these, heck I even like some of the ones chosen by the commitee’s involved.