Letter
Dear Mr. Hollis:
In its public meeting of 19 February conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed design alternatives for three coins comprising the 2027 issue of the Working Dog Commemorative Coin Program, intended to recognize the service that working dogs provide to society. The Commission provided the following comments and recommendations.
Five-Dollar Gold Coin (Therapy Dogs). The Commission members recommended obverse #2 for its clean composition and simple design that enhance the narrative and text legibility. For the reverse, they recommended using obverse alternative #6, citing the strong symbolic combination of the outstretched hand and the therapy dog; they requested removal of the keys from the reverse, and the coordination of inscriptions and fonts.
One-Dollar Silver Coin (Service and Guide Dogs). The Commission members recommended obverse alternative #1 from the gold coin candidate designs, depicting the profile of two dogs, for its simple and strong design. Consistent with the liaison’s preference, they recommended reverse #1, commenting that this alternative successfully narrates the story of a service dog helping a veteran; they suggested replacing the word “service” with “vet” on the dog’s vest.
Half-Dollar Clad Coin (Military and Police K-9 Dogs). The Commission members recommended obverse alternative #4 from the silver coin candidate designs, featuring a German Shepherd without gear, due to its simple representation, with text revisions coordinated with the military and police K-9 dog theme. For the reverse, they recommended clad alternative #3, citing its dynamic and balanced composition; they also recommended removing the background bench and the “do not pet” text, and increasing the size of the American flag on the dog’s vest.
As always, the staff is available to assist you with future submissions.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Paul Hollis, Director
United States Mint
801 9th Street, NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20220