Starting in April 2017, a commemorative $100 24-karat gold coin depicting Lady Liberty as a black woman wearing a crown of stars will be minted. Though the coin will be meant for collectors, it’ll mark the first time that Lady Liberty, a historical symbol of freedom, will be portrayed as nonwhite.
“The 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin is the first in a series of 24-karat gold coins that will feature designs which depict an allegorical Liberty in a variety of contemporary forms-including designs representing Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Indian-Americans among others-to reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States,” reads a press release from the Mint.
There is only one coin in circulation that features a person of color. It’s the Sacagawea dollar
In recent months the Treasury Department has made greater efforts to issue new currency notes and coins that better represent Americans of all backgrounds and acknowledge the groundbreaking achievements of leaders in the civil rights and women’s suffrage movements. There is only one coin in circulation that features a person of color. It’s the Sacagawea dollar. The Sacagawea dollar is also one of two coins in circulation that features a woman (the Susan B. Anthony dollar was retired in 2000, though obviously it’s still accepted as payment).