In a meeting held on February 18th, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) looked at and recommended proposed designs for the 2026 American Innovation Dollars. The designs for next year will honor the next four states in the program featuring California, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
The program began in 2018 with an introductory coin and is following up with four coins per year. The multi-year series aims to honor innovation and innovators for each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five United States territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands). A dramatic representation of the Statue of Liberty is seen on the obverse, remaining the constant design throughout the series. “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “$1” are inscribed in addition to a stylized gear privy mark representing industry and innovation. Mintage year, mint mark and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” are incused on the edge of the coins depending on the strike.
California’s proposed design will recognize the technology contributions made by Steve Jobs, Apple founder. The design recommended by the CCAC depicts Jobs speaking, reflecting on the founder’s memorable speeches and his ability to connect with audiences. Jobs transformed our relationship with technology and spearheaded its integration into our daily lives.
Referred to as The Hawkeye State, Iowa will honor Dr. Norman Borlaug, a native of Iowa and advocate for sustainable agriculture. He was also a Nobel Peace Prize winner and World Food Prize founder. The reverse design proposed features Dr. Borlaug holding wheat and wheat stalks, resembling his work researching and developing resilient crops that have the ability to feed a growing population globally.
The CCAC’s proposed design for the state of Minnesota features a 1940s-era truck with an early front-mounted refrigeration unit. The dollar will honor the development of mobile refrigeration with a focus on Minneapolis-based company U.S. Thermo Control (now called Thermo King). The first refrigerated truck was patented in 1939 by the founder, Frederick McKinley Jones. The Model C was released in 1941 and provided critical aid during and after the Second World War as it transported food-related goods, blood plasma, and temperature sensitive drugs.
The state of Wisconsin will honor the invention of the Cray-1 supercomputer on its CCAC recommended design. The Cray models helped the government to predict the weather, control space flight, break codes, and map seismic hazards. The machine set a new standard for supercomputer capabilities. The design will feature an aerial view of the Cray-1.
Source: Coin World
