Why Is Sacagawea on the Dollar Coin?

The American public was more involved in creating the Sacagawea gold dollar than any other coin in U.S. history. Appointed by Congress, the Dollar Coin Design Advisory Committee oversaw the selection process for creating a circulating one-dollar gold coin.

Committee

The Committee included a Congressman, a university president, the American Numismatic Society president, a sculptor, the Smithsonian under-secretary and an architect. The president of the U.S. Mint served on the committee but was not permitted to vote.

Process

The Committee met in Philadelphia in June 1998 to consider ideas submitted by the public.

Decision

The Committee recommended that the new gold coin bear the image of Sacagawea in honor of her contributions as a guide to Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition.

Design Selection

The U.S. Mint invited 23 artists to submit Sacagawea designs. Historians, educators, members of the Native American community, artists and U.S. Mint employees were asked to narrow down the selections to seven.

Public Comment

Although they were not asked to vote, the public was given an opportunity to review the finalists and submit comments via the Internet.

Final Choice

The Commission of Fine Arts chose the final design, which was unveiled at the White House on May 4, 1999.

References

• The United States Mint: The Historic Design Selection Process