A photograph of a rocky, western coastline served as the basis for the reverse design of the 2005 Ocean in View nickel, according to the U.S. Mint.
In all future materials relating to the new nickel, the Mint will include attribution to a picture by professional photographer Andrew E. Cier of Astoria, Ore. It will also note Cier’s contribution to the design in the Mint’s historical archives.
Cier said the image captured what Capt. William Clark might have seen upon reaching the coast.
Collectors will be able to meet Cier when he participates in a Lewis and Clark signature event entitled “Destination: The Pacific” in Astoria, Ore., on Nov. 11.
Cier’s photograph, on which designer Joe Fitzgerald based his nickel reverse design, can be viewed on the U.S. Mint Web site, www.usmint.gov.
The Ocean nickel is the fourth design in the U.S. Mint’s Westward Journey Nickel Series, which celebrates the Lewis and Clark expedition. The nickel series was launched in 2004. In April 2003, President Bush authorized the redesign of the nation’s nickel for the first time since 1938 to celebrate the bicentennials of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition.
