American Innovation® $1 Coin – Kentucky
- Year of Issue: 2022
- Authorizing Legislation: Public Law 115-197
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Background
The American Innovation $1 Coin representing Kentucky recognizes the invention of bluegrass music. Bluegrass has roots in traditional English, Scottish, and Irish ballads and dance tunes, as well as in traditional African-American blues and jazz. The genre derives its name from the band “Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys,” which has been dubbed the “Original Bluegrass Band.”
Bluegrass historians point to Bill Monroe’s first Columbia sessions in 1946 as the advent of bluegrass music as we know it today: including breakneck tempos, sophisticated vocal harmony arrangements, and instrumental proficiency demonstrated in solos or “breaks” on the mandolin, banjo, and fiddle.
Characteristics
The obverse (heads) design features a dramatic representation of the Statue of Liberty in profile. The obverse also includes a privy mark of a stylized gear, representing industry and innovation.
The reverse (tails) design features a banjo, an important bluegrass instrument. It is tilted to one side, alluding to the rhythm and movement of the music.
Obverse Inscriptions
- IN GOD WE TRUST
- $1
Reverse Inscriptions
- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- BLUEGRASS
- KENTUCKY
Incused (edge) Inscriptions
- 2022
- Mint mark
- E PLURIBUS UNUM
Mint and Mint Mark
Specifications
| Composition | Weight | Diameter | Thickness | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Manganese-Brass
88.5% Cu
6% Zn
3.5% Mn
2% Ni
|
8.1 g |
1.043 in.
26.49 mm
|
2.00 mm | Edge-Lettering |
Artist Information
Obverse- Sculptor: Phebe Hemphill, Medallic Artist
- Designer: Justin Kunz, Artistic Infusion Program
- Sculptor: Renata Gordon, Medallic Artist
- Designer: Christina Hess, Artistic Infusion Program