Michigan Paves the Way: Innovation Dollar Gets First-Ever Public Launch
For the first time, the U.S. Mint is holding a public release ceremony for an Innovation Dollar—thanks to the efforts of Michigan numismatists and longtime advocate Steve Bieda.
Next Tuesday, April 8, there will be a public release ceremony for the 2025 Michigan Innovation Dollar. The coin honors the automotive assembly line.
This coin release will be special because it is the 27th coin of the series that debuted in 2018, but it will be the first state honored where the US Mint is conducting a public release ceremony.
The US Mint was not planning any public release ceremonies for this coin series, as the government did not plan to put any of these coins into circulation. Instead, those who want them will have to order them directly from the US Mint at prices well above face value.
The ceremony will be held at the Detroit Historical Museum. Its doors will open at 10 AM, and the ceremony will commence at 10:30 AM. Attendees for the event are advised to enter by the side door. There is no admission charge to attend.
So, how did it come to pass that, after no public release ceremony was conducted for the previous 25 states, the Mint is holding one for Michigan? As best I can determine, it involved the combined efforts of Steve Bieda and the Michigan State Numismatic Society.
Bieda, a Michigan resident, was the designer of the reverse of the US 1992 Olympic Half Dollar. Even as he pursued his everyday career path, he kept in contact with multiple people at the Mint. He was not a member of the Michigan Quarter Commission, which worked on the design for the 2004 Michigan Statehood Quarter. Still, he assisted the Mint staff in creating the topography for the depiction of Michigan on the coin. He also participated in the meeting with Michigan Governor Granholm when she selected the design that would appear on the coin (where he also asked that I attend this meeting).
Along with others, he was an advocate for the striking of the 2004 Thomas Edison Commemorative Silver Dollar. Most recently, he was appointed by current Michigan Governor Whitmer to serve as the state’s liaison with the US Mint for the design and production of the 2025 Michigan Innovation Dollar.
The Michigan State Numismatic Society (MSNS) has purchased a quantity of the Michigan Innovation Dollar at the Mint’s retail price above face value to have on hand at the public release ceremony. At the conclusion of the ceremony, representatives of MSNS will conduct an exchange of these new Innovation Dollars to attendees who present a dollar in coin or currency. However, because of the limited supply, people will be limited to exchanging for only one of these coins.
In addition to MSNS, this event is being hosted by the MotorCities National Heritage Area and the Michigan Historical Foundation.
MSNS has done an extensive job of notifying its membership by email of this public release ceremony. Other organizations, some dealers, and some collectors have also helped to publicize the event. Almost certainly, this will be the first state’s Innovation Dollar debut to be covered by local media.
Expect the public in Michigan to start asking their banks and credit unions if they have any of these coins available, which they will not, as they are not being put into circulation.
Although the US Mint, thus far, is not helping promote numismatics but putting the Innovation Dollars into circulation, next week’s experience in Michigan just might spur similar activity by the Florda United Numismatists for the May 15 debut of that state’s coin or the Texas Numismatic Association to do the same when that state’s Innovation Dollar comes out later this year.
With the current emphasis in Washington, DC, on cutting spending, the US Mint might be hard pressed to schedule future public release ceremonies for any state coin issue. Perhaps the numismatic organizations could offer to cover the reasonable expenses for the Mint to schedule a public release ceremony in their respective states, then also acquire a quantity of coins to conduct a coin exchange in conjunction with the event.
Last column’s numismatic trivia question.
Last time, I asked— What was the model for Liberty on the US $20.00 Double Eagle designed by Augustus St. Gaudens? Liberty’s design on this coin was adapted from St. Gaudens’ depiction of the goddess Nike representing Victory at the front of the William Tecumseh Sherman Monument in New York City’s Grand Army Plaza at the southeast end of Central Park. This entire sculpture was created by Augustus St. Gaudens and dedicated in 1903.
This week’s trivia question
Here is this week’s question. US Treasury Notes were issued in Series of 1890 and 1891. In both series, denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, and $1,000 were issued into circulation. A $500 Treasury Note was designed but never printed to put into circulation. Why not? Come back next week for the answer.
Patrick A. Heller was honored as a 2019 FUN Numismatic Ambassador. He also received the American Numismatic Association 2018 Glenn Smedley Memorial Service Award, the 2017 Exemplary Service Award, the 2012 Harry Forman National Dealer of the Year Award, and the 2008 Presidential Award. Over the years, he has also been honored by the Numismatic Literary Guild (including twice in 2020), the Professional Numismatists Guild, the Industry Council for Tangible Assets, and the Michigan State Numismatic Society. He is the communications officer of Liberty Coin Service in Lansing, Michigan, and writes “Liberty’s Outlook,” a monthly newsletter on rare coins and precious metals subjects. Past newsletter issues can be viewed at www.libertycoinservice.com. Some of his radio commentaries, "Things You ‘Know’ That Just Aren’t So,” and “Important News You Need To Know,” can be heard at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday and Friday mornings on 1320-AM WILS in Lansing (which streams live and becomes part of the audio archives posted at www.1320wils.com).
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