United States Wins “Coin of the Year”
The U.S. Mint’s American Liberty High Relief $100 gold coin with the theme “Liberty Through Perseverance” received the top prize during the Coin of the Year (COTY) awards ceremony. It beat out nearly 600 coins—a record number of submissions—to receive this honor.
The Coin of the Year program is an internationally conducted competition presented by World Coin News. Its goal is to recognize outstanding coin design and innovation around the world. The 2024 program, sponsored by the World’s Fair of Money® and The Journal of East Asian Numismatics, honors coins dated 2023 in 10 categories. An international panel of judges makes the final selections. The ANA has hosted this event during its World’s Fair of Money convention since 2023.
Liberty through Perseverance
The coin, which also won in the “Best Gold Coin” category, is the sixth released in the U.S. Mint’s American Liberty series. Its obverse features a bristlecone pine, a species native to California, Nevada, and Utah. With a lifespan of up to 5,000 years, it is thought to be one of the oldest living organisms on Earth. Bristlecone pines can grow where other plants cannot. They often are the first species to repopulate the land after cataclysmic changes such as a lava run or glacial runoff. Joseph Menna sculpted the motif, while Elana Hagler executed it.
The reverse depicts a young bald eagle standing on a rocky outcropping moments before it takes flight. Mint Medallic Artist John P. McGraw sculpted and executed the design.
“The final ballot for Coin of the Year in 2024 was so evenly distributed that the top five coins were separated by a margin of just 10 votes,” says Tom Michael, COTY co-coordinator. “However, there was no mistaking the strength of the ‘Liberty Through Perseverance’ $100 gold coin’s gracious design. [It] surged past the next closest competitor by half of that spread.”
“It is very exciting to watch the COTY process unfold,” adds Maggie Pahl, COTY co-coordinator. “The best of the best in coin design and innovation rise to the top as the competition culminates with the final vote for the champion. The COTY team and I extend a sincere congratulations to all winners and a big thank you to everyone who participated in making this year’s awards program possible.”
Other award winners include Latvia’s Riga Fashion coin for “Most Artistic Coin.” Canada’s Allegory of Peace $50 silver coin received “Most Inspirational Coin.”
For the full list of winners, click here.