Looking forward to 2021 Coins

Hope you are having a great holiday! After the kind of year we have had, it is with mixed feelings that we are bidding goodbye to it and welcoming the new year!

2021, we sure hope is much better for all of us. For numismatists, there is a lot to look forward to; the 2021 centennial release of Morgan and Peace dollars, the new American Eagle design, the 2021 Commemorative coins honoring Christa McAuliffe, and then the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum coin. We have our usual staple of American Innovation coins, the Native American $1 coin and the 56th and final America the Beautiful quarter.

As per our year end tradition @CSN blog, this post aims to unveil the new coins to look forward to in the coming year.

Centennial release of Morgan and Peace dollars

Morgan dollars were minted from 1878 to 1904 and then again in 1921 due to the Bland-Allison act, which prescribed that the Silver coming out of the Western mines were minted into coins. We have spoken in depth on Morgan dollars in an earlier post. After 1921, the Morgan dollars transitioned into the Peace dollars in order to commemorate the end of the First World war and the beginning of a peaceful era. 2021 will be 100 years since the transition from Morgan to the Peace dollars.

2021 will see the production of Morgan and Peace dollars in .900 fine silver, with the balance of the alloy in copper. Options would include issues struck at the Denver, Philadelphia and San Francisco Mints, with privy marks added to specific issues to honor the silver dollar output at the former Carson City Mint in Nevada and New Orleans Mint in Louisiana. There will be Proof and Uncirculated releases, and special sets for coins of different finishes from multiple Mints. Uncirculated versions could include a 2021-P Peace dollar struck at the Philadelphia Mint with the original high relief.

2021 Commemorative coins

Christa McAuliffe Silver dollar

Sharon Christa McAuliffe, a high-school social studies teacher who was chosen for NASA's 'Teacher in Space' program, died tragically along with six other astronauts in the space shuttle 'Challenger' disaster on January 28th 1986. The shuttle disintegrated after just 73 seconds in air. McAuliffe was planning to conduct experiments and teach two lessons from the space shuttle.

The Christa McAuliffe Silver dollar will celebrate her life and legacy as an educator and true pioneer. The obverse design depicts a portrait of McAuliffe with a hopeful gaze. The reverse depicts McAuliffe as a teacher, smiling as she points forward and upward, symbolizing the future. Three high school-age students look on with wonder.

National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum 2021 coin

The National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum was established in 1991 for honoring the ultimate sacrifice of the federal, state and local law enforcement officers while rendering their duty. The coin honors the 30th anniversary of the memorial’s establishment. Three different versions of the coin are to be released in 2021; a Gold coin, a Silver dollar and a Half dollar. Each version will have different designs. We will cover the design of each of these coins in CSN blog later in the year.

American Innovation $1 coins

The American Innovation $1 coins of 2021 will honor innovations from the states of New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, and North Carolina. CSN blog will cover each of these coins in-depth in the 2021 posts.

2021 America the Beautiful quarter

The last and final quarter of the 'America the Beautiful quarters' program will be released in 2021. This 56th quarter will honor the 'Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site' in Alabama. The design depicts a Tuskegee Airman suiting up to join the fight during World War II. The Moton Field control tower is shown in the background. The pilot looks upward with pride and confidence as two P-51 Mustangs pass overhead.

Other coins

The theme of the 2021 Native American $1 Coin design is to commemorate Native American service in the armed forces. The design features a close-up of a pair of eagle’s feathers, under five five-pointed stars representing the five branches of the military. The mint will also be releasing regulars like the American Eagle, Kennedy Half dollar, and the American Buffalo. The 2021 American Eagle will have a new reverse design as covered in our earlier blog post here.

The new year promises some exciting releases, new coins and some new versions of old favorites. Let's hope that 2021 helps us to return to normalcy and enjoy the art of collecting coins safely!