Letter
Dear Mr. Moy:
In its meeting of 15 April, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed the proposed 2011 reverse design for the Native American One Dollar Coin. The Commission recommended alternative #6 as the simplest design, commenting that it is uncluttered in comparison to the other alternatives and legibly conveys the theme of Native American diplomacy.
The Commission members offered two recommendations concerning the treatment of text. Consistent with their ongoing guidance to consider the two sides of a coin as a unified design, they recommended that the typeface for the reverse text be related to that of the obverse. They also recommended further study of the "$1" text, commenting that its size and placement in many alternatives, including #6, is unsatisfactory and may convey an inappropriately commercial association with the coin's theme of diplomacy. They suggested that the text "One Dollar" would be a more dignified format for conveying the denomination; this typographic flexibility should be considered in the drafting and interpretation of coinage legislation.
As always, the staff is available to assist you with future submissions.
Sincerely,
Thomas E. Luebke, AIA
Secretary
Edmund C. Moy, Director
United States Mint
801 9th Street, NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20220
cc: Kaarina Budow, U.S. Mint