United States Mint Director Ed Moy will present the Nation’s first coin with readable Braille at 10:00 a.m. on March 26, at the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. NFB President Marc Maurer will join in the presentation of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar, along with invited guests that include mathematician and inventor Abraham Nemeth; and National Aeronautics and Space Administration Assistant Administrator for Education Joyce Winterton. NFB first Vice President Frederic Schroeder will serve as the event’s Master of Ceremonies. The presentation includes a special videotaped message from U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd, one of the sponsors of Public Law 109-247-the Louis Braille Bicentennial-Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act.

The United States Mint, authorized by Public Law 109-247, is issuing the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar to honor the life and work of the man who invented the Braille method of reading and writing by the blind that has allowed millions of blind people to be literate participants in their societies. The Public Law also provides that a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the commemorative coins is authorized to be paid to the NFB to further its programs to promote Braille literacy.

The 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar features a portrait of Louis Braille on the obverse (heads side). The reverse (tails side) design depicts a child reading a Braille book. The word INDEPENDENCE is displayed on a bookshelf behind the child and the word Braille, abbreviated BRL in Braille code, is featured in the upper field. (more…)

New Coin Goes into Circulation on 200th Anniversary of Revered Leader’s Birthday

HODGENVILLE, Ky. – The United States Mint launched the first redesigned one-cent coin (penny) in 50 years in a ceremony today-the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The redesigned Lincoln penny, released into circulation today, features a log cabin on the coin’s reverse (tails side), emblematic of Lincoln’s humble roots in Kentucky.

“The new Lincoln cent is a milestone moment for the United States Mint and for our country,” said United States Mint Deputy Director Andy Brunhart. “The coin is a tribute to a humble man who rose to great heights living by principles of honesty, integrity and loyalty, principles that never go out of fashion. More importantly, Americans will forever hold dear Lincoln’s legacy – an enduring Nation, united in the pursuit of equality for all.”

Mr. Brunhart and Kentucky Governor Steven L. Beshear presented thousands of shiny, new one-cent coins to children ages 18 and under in attendance at a ceremonial launch held at the LaRue County High School gymnasium. Following the ceremony, participants exchanged their coins and currency for the one-cent coins bearing the new design.

The log cabin design is the first of four new designs Americans will see on the reverse of the penny this year. Inscriptions on the reverse are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM and ONE CENT, as well as the inscription 1809, the year President Lincoln was born. The coin’s reverse was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Master Designer Richard Masters and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Jim Licaretz. (more…)

In honor of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth (1809), the United States Mint is producing two new pennies in 2009. The first is scheduled for release Thursday, February 12th on Lincoln’s birthday.

A present of two pennies may not sound like a great birthday gift, but it’s actually thoughtful.

“It is exciting,” said Tom Jensen, president of the Utah Numismatic Society. “The current penny they have was issued in 1909, for the 100-year birth anniversary of Abraham Lincoln.”

The profile of Lincoln has remained the same for 100 years. The reverse of the coin has changed only once — in 1959, the sesquicentennial of the president’s birth, an picture of the Lincoln Memorial replaced two wheat stalks.

“There will be two new pennies, highlighting the stages of Lincoln’s life, from his boyhood in Kentucky to his presidency in Washington, D.C.,” said Carla Coolman, public affairs spokeswoman for the U.S. Mint.

This year’s redesigns were directed by the U.S. Congress, in part to get more people interested in studying the life of the former president.

Each coin will be put in circulation about every four months, and a fifth, depicting Lincoln’s preservation of a united country, will be added in 2010. The fifth coin has not yet been designed. (more…)