Simcha Kuritzky, Treasurer of the Montgomery County Coin Club and past president of the Maryland State Numismatic Association, attended the June 18, 2008 meeting of the Citizen Coinage Advisory Committee. The agenda was to review the possible reverses for the Native American $1 Coins.

Simcha reported that for the 2009 reverse, the CCAC chose the design representing the three sisters: maize, beans, and squash, which are grown together. As required by law (Public Law 110-82 [PDF]), the date will be removed from the obverse and placed on the edge so that all circulating dollar coins will have edge lettering.

There were three reverses that had substantial support: a woman planting seeds with three corn plants in the background; three woman’s faces with the respective plants intertwined in their hair; and three sets of plants with a shining sun. The first and last designs had the most support from Native American groups. The main arguments at the meeting were over the novelty of design: the three faces design was a fresh approach and some members wanted greater artistic vision, while others were concerned that most people wouldn’t understand the design. The woman planting design had support because it showed agriculture (as opposed to nature) and women’s roles in the native economy, but the plants were small and may not show up well on the actual coin.

The designs and CCAC recommendation will be submitted to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts for their opinion. The Director of the US Mint as proxy for the Secretary of the Treasury will make the final decision.

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