This past Tuesday, Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios, U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Joe Daniels, president and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, announced the opening of sales for the 2011 September 11 National Medal at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site. As part of the ceremony, Rios and Nadler presented a shadowbox containing the medal to Daniels.

Numismatic News’s Dave Harper reports that the U.S. Mint has sold 35,036 medals (21,256 “W” mintmarked and 13,780 “P” mintmarked). The authorizing law (Public Law No. 111-221 [Text] [PDF]) authorizes the production of 2 million one-ounce proof silver medals with a surcharge of $10 per medal will be paid to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Although the images provided by the U.S. Mint are representative of the medal, there are many cases that the coin or medal looks better than the U.S. Mint’s image. While searching for a information about the launch ceremony, I came upon a story at DNAinfo.com, a website that covers news and events in Manhattan. The reporter, Julie Shaprio, was able to photograph an actual medal at the site. I was awed by the images of the actual medal. Once again, the photographs prove that the actual medal is much better looking than the U.S. Mint’s image.

The medal was designed by Donna Weaver, a former U.S. Mint sculptor-engraver now a member of the Artistic Infusion Program. The obverse was engraved by Phebe Hemphill and the reverse by Joseph Menna. All should be commended on an excellent job.

Image of the 9/11 Medal courtesy of Julie Shapiro of DNAinfo.com.
Click on the images to see larger versions.