Today the ninth coin in the American Innovation $1 Coin Program will be released from the United States Mint: New Hampshire. The multi-year series that started with an introductory coin in 2018 and has released four coins a year is aimed at honoring innovation and innovators by issuing coins for each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories. The 2021 designs will honor the states of New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, and North Carolina. The New Hampshire $1 coin will be released in 25-coin rolls and 100-coin bags from both Philadelphia and Denver beginning at 12pm EST.
Designed by Christina Hess and sculpted by Engraver Eric David Custer, the New Hampshire design on the reverse depicts Ralph Baer’s brown box game “Handball.” The left side of the coin has the inscriptions “New Hampshire” and “Player 1” while the “IN HOME VIDEO GAME SYSTEM” and “RALPH BAER” are featured around the entire outside of the coin. Baer created the first home video game console and is honored on the coin by paying homage to the Odyssey game while looking similar to an arcade token.
The obverse will be the same one seen on all the coins as it features a representation of the Statue of Liberty with the inscriptions “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “$1”. There is also a privy mark in the form of a stylized gear symbolizing industry and innovation. The edge of the coins will feature the 2021 date as well as the mint mark (either “P” or “D” in this case) and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
