CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 SILVER DOLLAR DESIGN RECOMMENDATION

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V16 2013 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 16, Number 41, October 6, 2013, Article 7

The October 4, 2013 Mint News Blog discusses proposed designs for the 2014 Civil Rights Act of 1964 Silver Dollar. -Editor

One of the two commemorative coin programs authorized for the coming year will mark the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The program will feature a silver dollar with a maximum mintage of 350,000 pieces.

The authorizing legislation provides that the designs for the coin “shall be emblematic of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its contribution to civil rights in America.” The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) recently reviewed design candidates and gave their recommendations.

The United States Mint had provided a slate of 15 different obverse and 10 different reverse designs for the 2014 Civil Rights Act of 1964 Silver Dollar, which can all be viewed in this article: 2014 Civil Rights Act of 1964 Silver Dollar Designs Reviewed by CCAC (news.coinupdate.com/civil-rights-act-of-semi-centennial-silver-dollar-designs-reviewed-by-ccac-2133/)

The CCAC recommended the obverse and reverse designs shown above. The obverse depicts the March on Washington inside a silhouette of the Liberty Bell with reverberating bands and the inscription “Let Freedom Ring…” The throng of people by the reflecting pool would have been Martin Luther King’s view from the Lincoln Memorial. The rays beyond the Washington Monument represent the dawn of the bright day of justice as quoted by Dr. King in his speech.

The reverse design depicts three intertwined flames symbolizing freedom of education, freedom to vote, and the freedom to control one’s destiny. The design was developed based on the quote by Dr. King, “They get the fire hose. They fail to realize that water can only put out physical fire. But water can never drown the fire of freedom.” The CCAC did suggest that the cauldron at the base of the flames should be enlarged or emphasized.

That is one puny cauldron, but I think the reverse design works. The obverse design is interesting, but I wonder how that massive crowd will look on the finished coin. The sun's rays seem exaggerated and hokey, like something my daughter would draw. This is a hard design element to get right, and I wonder if the coin would be better off without them; the placement of the rising/setting sun may not even be historically accurate. Overall though, I like this choice and think it will make a good coin. -Editor