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Washington — The United States Mint (Mint) will release the third and final coin in its Preamble to the Declaration of Independence Platinum Proof Coin Series (product code 20EJ) on January 30 at noon EST. The theme of the coin is Pursuit of Happiness.
The obverse (heads) design of the 2020 coin depicts Lady Liberty harvesting the fruits of her labor with a young girl at play nearby. The overflowing cornucopia she carries is a symbol of the physical, intellectual, and spiritual bounty only liberty makes possible—the good things that nourish the body, enliven the mind, and satisfy the soul. The home, orchard, and silo represent American hopes, values, and aspirations and bring to a close the narrative told throughout the backgrounds of the series—from furrowed earth, to prairies and mountains, and finally to an agrarian field. The stubble field alludes to the ingenuity and exertion required to claim liberty’s promise.
Obverse inscriptions are E PLURIBUS UNUM, IN GOD WE TRUST, Happiness, 2020, and LIBERTY. The inscription “Happiness” is a facsimile of the handwritten word from the Declaration of Independence and includes the long “s,” a letterform that was typical of its time but is no longer in common use.
Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) designer Justin Kunz created all obverse designs in the series. Mint Sculptor-Engraver Michael Gaudioso sculpted the 2020 obverse design.
The common reverse (tails) design for coins in this series depicts an eagle in flight with an olive branch in its talons. Inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, $100, 1 OZ., and .9995 PLATINUM. AIP designer Patricia Lucas-Morris created the common reverse design, which former Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart sculpted.
Platinum coins in this series bear the West Point mint mark. Each coin is encapsulated and packaged in a black velvet, satin-lined presentation case that is enclosed in an outer box and sleeve. A certificate of authenticity is included.
The Mint priced this coin according to the range in which it appears on its Pricing of Numismatic Gold, Commemorative Gold, and Platinum Products table. Current pricing information is available online.
Mintage for the 2020 coin is capped at 13,000 units. Orders will be limited to one coin per household for the first 24 hours of sales, after which the Mint will lift the limit.
The Mint accepts orders online and at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468). Information on shipping options is available at the Mint’s website.
The Declaration of Independence platinum Proof coins can also be purchased at the Mint’s sales centers in Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and Denver. Availability may be limited and subject to change. Previously released coins in this series are still available while supplies last.
About the United States Mint
Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including Proof, Uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals, and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.
Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, the United States Mint will not accept and will not honor orders placed prior to the official on-sale date of January 30, 2020, at noon EST.
Press release courtesy of the United States Mint.
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By Q. David Bowers
We can always learn from the past. And with numismatics, this is still relevant. Waldo C. Moore wrote this in The Numismatist in December 1918:
It is difficult to give any general advice about collecting; it is a matter of taste. If one means to become a collector, and not merely a possessor, it is wisest to choose perhaps a somewhat limited field. To collect everything numismatic means to acquire much that does not interest, and therefore one often becomes discouraged. The more acquired the more one finds there is to be gotten, and the farther one seems to be from a constantly receding goal. Decide what interests most and then make the tackle. In this way the collector may in time be able to assemble a collection that will be worthwhile.
Now and again the collector may hear of a certain specimen of numismatic art fetching a very large price indeed, and so be led to believe that that represents its market value; the consequence being that should another piece of the same design be placed within reach, he may think it a very good stroke of business to buy it for something less than was paid for the first. The fact is, that until one is made fully aware of all the circumstances, and perhaps sentiments, associated with the sale of any numismatic item for what seems to be a high price, one cannot pronounce any opinion as to whether the price was excessive or the reverse; and it is most unsafe to take it for granted that because a thing sells for a certain price to a certain collector today it will sell for the same price to a different collector tomorrow.
It is in the possession of some special line, after all, that the real joy lies. Numismatics is a broad term. The average dealer in numismatics has a hotchpotch of unrelated specimens on tap. The collector does not want his collection to be like that unless he be the proprietor of a town museum. The average collector should choose some special line in numismatics and follow the same consistently, seeking for the finest examples in season and out.
A collection is desirable when it means something. The collection should be made a means, not an end. There is a charm and beauty in it when it is chosen with good judgment, which the devotee can never adequately express nor the Philistine ever understand.
If you wish to contact me or send any inquiries, you may direct them to my e-mail qdbarchive@metrocast.net.
Notes: Waldo C. Moore, born in West Baltimore (now Verona), Ohio, July 23, 1874, followed a career with the People’s Banking Company of Lewisburg, Ohio, from 1899 onward. He followed his own advice and specialized in several areas including obsolete paper scrip, Civil War tokens, and other fields with interesting stories attached to the various issues. In 1919 he was elected president of the ANA. For a long period of years, he was a prolific contributor to The Numismatist.
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On February 6 at 12:00 noon (ET), the Mint will release the 2020 National Park of American Samoa five-ounce silver Uncirculated coin (20AJ). This coin is the 51st release overall in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. There are no product or household order limits, but the mintage limit is set at 20,000. Each coin bears the “P” mint mark of the Philadelphia Mint and is composed of 99.9% silver. The price of the 2020 National Park of American Samoa five-ounce silver Uncirculated coin is $178.25 on the Mint’s website.
The reverse design depicts a Samoan fruit bat mother hanging upside down alongside her pup.
Inscriptions include NATIONAL PARK, AMERICAN SAMOA, the year 2020, and E PLURIBUS UNUM on the reverse. On the edge is .999 FINE SILVER 5.0 OUNCE.
The 2020 National Park of American Samoa five-ounce silver Uncirculated coin is the America the Beautiful Quarters Program’s first release in 2020.
For more information about this coin, please visit the website of the United States Mint.
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On January 30 at 12 noon (ET) the United States Mint will release the 2020 Preamble to the Declaration of Independence American Platinum Eagle Proof coin — Pursuit of Happiness (20EJ). This is the final coin in this series, the other two being Life coin released in 2018, and the Liberty coin released in 2019. The Pursuit of Happiness coin has a mintage and product limit of 13,000 (each), and a household order limit of one. Each coin contains one troy ounce of 99.95% platinum, has a reeded edge, and bears the “W” mint mark of the West Point Mint.
The obverse of the coin was designed by Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Designer Justin Kunz and depicts Lady Liberty harvesting fruits and grains with a young girl playing with a butterfly in the foreground. Inscriptions include Happiness, LIBERTY, E PLURIBUS UNUM, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the year 2020.
The common reverse shared by all three coins was designed by AIP Designer Patricia Lucas-Morris and depicts an eagle in flight with an olive branch in its talons. Inscriptions include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, .9995 PLATINUM, 1oz., and $100.
Each coin is encapsulated in a black velvet satin-lined presentation case, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
For more information about the 2020 Preamble to the Declaration of Independence American Platinum Eagle Proof coin — Pursuit of Happiness and others in the series, please visit the website of the United States Mint.
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