Black Lady Liberty set for US coin
THE US is set to issue a commemorative $100 gold coin that depicts Lady Liberty – a national symbol generally portrayed as a white woman – as an African American for the first time.
The 24-karat gold piece will be released in honour of the United States Mint’s 225th anniversary, one of a series of coins that will feature a racially diverse array of Lady Liberties.
The coins will “depict an allegorical Liberty in a variety of contemporary forms – including designs representing AsianAmericans, Hispanic-Ameri- cans and Indian-Americans among others”, the Mint said in a statement late last week.
The Mint said it is issuing the coins to “reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the US”.
The new coin will be released on April 6 featuring the bust of a distinctly African-American Liberty, with a crown of gold stars.
Underneath appear the words “In God we trust” and the dates 2017 and 1792, the year Congress created the Mint. The coin’s flip side features another potent US symbol, an eagle in flight.
“Our founding fathers realised the critical need for our fledgling nation to have a respected monetary system, and over the last 225 years, the Mint has never failed in its mission,” said Rhett Jeppson, the Mint’s principal deputy director.
In another move to diversify the mostly white male cast of statesmen featured on US currency, the slave-turned-abolitionist Harriet Tubman was named as the new face of the $20 banknote last April, the first time an African American was picked to feature on US currency.