Letter
Dear Ms. Gibson:
In its public meeting of 15 February conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed alternative reverse designs for two of the non-circulating one-dollar coins of the American Innovation series to be issued in 2025. The Commission members present provided the following comments and recommendations.
Florida. The Commission members recommended reverse #9 as the best design for the theme of the Space Shuttle program. They observed that placing the required inscription of the state name at the base of the liftoff image effectively conveys that Florida has been the location for the Space Shuttle launches. They supported the NASA-inspired font for the inscriptions, but they questioned the stylized depiction of the stars in the background, requesting further refinement of this detail.
Texas. The Commission members expressed support for the selected theme of the Mission Control Center for the U.S. space program. However, they concluded that none of the presented alternatives adequately expresses the strong potential for this theme; they therefore requested an additional submission with new alternatives for this coin. They discouraged a design illustrating space flight in general, instead recommending further development of a design focusing on the Mission Control Center in Houston. They commented that reverse #6 could be developed to better illustrate the workforce and activity of the Mission Control Center, including the depiction of additional people, and they supported the NASA-inspired font for the inscriptions in this alternative.
As a quorum was not present for the review, these recommendations will be placed on the administrative agenda for confirmation at the Commission's next meeting. As always, the staff is available to assist you with future submissions.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Ventris C. Gibson, Director
United States Mint
801 9th Street, NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20220