The United States Mint unveiled an image of the one-year-only design that will appear on their 2021 Native American $1 Coin.
Honoring the service of American Indians in the U.S. military, the dollar’s reverse (tails side) depicts eagle feathers, which were traditionally earned in battle or by performing a brave deed. The design was selected from among a total of 17 candidates.
In addition to the feathers, the design’s foreground features stars representing five branches of the U.S. military. A circle provides an additional reference to Native Americans.
Around the design are inscriptions of "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "NATIVE AMERICANS – DISTINGUISHED MILITARY SERVICE SINCE 1775" and "$1."
Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Designer Donna Weaver created the image. It was sculpted by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna.
Authorized under Public Law 110-82, introduced in 2009, and featuring annually changing reverses, the Mint’s Native American $1 Coin Program celebrates the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the history and development of the United States. Previous design themes include:
- 2009 – Three Sisters Agriculture
- 2010 – Great Tree of Peace and the Iroquois Confederacy
- 2011 – Great Wampanoag Nation
- 2012 – Trade Routes
- 2013 – Treaty with the Delawares
- 2014 – Native Hospitality Ensured the Success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
- 2015 – Contributions of the Kahnawake Mohawk and Mohawk Akwesasne communities to "high iron" construction work
- 2016 – Contributions of the Native American Code Talkers in World War I and World War II
- 2017 – Sequoyah, inventor of the Cherokee Syllabary
- 2018 – Sports legend Jim Thorpe, a member of the Sac and Fox tribe
- 2019 – Mary Golda Ross, the first known Native American female engineer, and a space-walking astronaut symbolic of Native American astronauts
- 2020 – Elizabeth Peratrovich for her contributions to the passage of the 1945 Anti-Discrimination Law by the Alaskan territorial government
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Common Obverse Design
Obverses (heads side) of Native American $1 Coins share the same portrait of "Sacagawea" as designed by sculptor Glenna Goodacre. The familiar image has been around since the Sacagawea golden dollar debuted in 2000. Inscriptions around Sacagawea read "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST."
An edge inscription indicates the year of issue, mint mark, and the motto "E PLURIBUS UNUM."
Upcoming U.S. Mint Dollar Products
Dollar coins have not been released into circulation since 2011. The U.S. Mint strikes them solely for its numismatic products sold here. The first U.S. Mint products with 2021-dated Native American dollars will be available for order on Feb. 16.
A very nice, symbolic reverse design, giving much-deserved credit to the Native Americans who served in all 5 branches of the military of our nascent country since 1775 till today. Kudos to the Mint on this coin’s design!
NumisdudeTX
Thank you Seth, Kaiser, and CoinNews of course. Just my observation but wouldn’t the feathers be better the other way. It’s almost as if the feathers are falling. Remember, break lots of bags and rolls open because the Native American Feather is disrespected if you place it somewhere it can’t be seen.
And do NOT, under any circumstance, place feathers under a ladder in front of a mirror on Friday the 13th, during a Leap Year, with a black cat watching you, unless you plan on a warp-speed, one-way trip to the 5th Level of Hell ! Just a courtesy tip…
NumisdudeTX
Okie dokie you got it doctor Jones hold on to your potatoes and buckle up!
I know this is a bit late, but had to comment. Just saw the new silver American Eagle type 2. I noticed that the date was much larger than on the type 1 silver American Eagle. The U.S. Mint needs to make the date on the Native American dollar larger. But wait, to make the date larger they would have to put it on the face of the coin. I really don’t care how large the date is on the Native American dollar. Just, please put the date and the mint mark back on the face of the coin. It… Read more »