Letter
Dear Ms. Gibson:
In its public meeting of 16 June conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed alternative reverse designs for the 2024 issue of the Native American One Dollar Coin series. The Commission was pleased to take into consideration the preferences of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and the Mint’s liaison organizations, and provided the following comments and recommendations.
For conveying the theme of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, the Commission recommended alternative #8, commenting that its broadly meaningful symbolic elements of feathers and the U.S. flag would best convey the wide range of American Indians who gained citizenship through this legislation. They questioned whether the feathered eagle staff, featured in many of the alternatives, would adequately represent all American Indians, and they also questioned whether its cropped depiction within these compositions would be respectful of its significance. They discouraged the inclusion of a landscape suggestive of the American Southwest toward the bottom of several alternatives, commenting that its specificity would be inconsistent with the nationwide presence of American Indians.
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