CFA 16/JUN/11-1

Project name
2012 Native American One Dollar Coin
Owner
U.S. Department of the Treasury
U.S. Mint
Description
Designs for reverse
Review Type
Final

Letter

Dear Mr. Peterson:

In its meeting of 16 June, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed the proposed reverse design for the 2012 Native American One Dollar Coin. Following a discussion of the varied artistic styles of the alternatives, the Commission supported alternative #8 with following comments.

The Commission members welcomed the inclusion of several alternatives based on the ledger style of Native American art, commenting that they prefer this kind of iconographic approach over the representational narrative treatment that is typical of the Mint's recent submissions; however, they concluded that the submitted alternatives in this line-art style were not satisfactory as sculptural coin designs. While encouraging further exploration of a pictographic style for this or future coins in the Native American series, they supported alternative #8 as the best of the more representational options submitted, noting its stylistic consistency with the series obverse design. They recommended simplification of alternative #8 by removing the small horses depicted in the background; they also recommended moving the denomination toward the rim of the reverse, separating the text from the central emblems of the design and grouping it in the same circumferential zone as the other text that is proposed along the rim.

As always, the staff is available to assist you with future submissions.

Sincerely,

/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary

Richard A. Peterson, Acting Director
United States Mint
801 9th Street, NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20220

cc: Kaarina Budow, U.S. Mint