Collecting Native American Dollars
In 2009, the U.S. Mint launched its Native American $1 Coin Program. The coins recognize important contributions made by Native American tribes and individuals throughout the history of the United States. All the coins have a common obverse of Sacagawea, first produced in 2000.
Each year, the reverse design changes, creating a growing collection in the making. Let’s take a look at the Native American dollars so far.
The 2009 reverse features the theme of the "Three Sisters," corn, beans, and squash.
The U.S. Mint
2009
The first coin in the series had the theme of agriculture. It is widely acknowledged that the early European colonists wouldn’t have survived if not for the generosity of the native populations sharing their crops and teaching the colonists how to grow their own. The Natives spread their knowledge of the “Three Sisters,” corn, beans, and squash. The practice of raising these three staples in the same plot originated in Mexico and spread throughout North America. Combining the three provided significant productivity for the crops. The tall corn stalks provided support for the beans, which in turn added nitrogen to the soil. The squash covered the ground, which discouraged weeds.
The 2010 reverse represents the peace treaty initiated by the Haudenosaunee Confederation, or Iroquois Confederacy, which symbolically buried weapons at the foot of a Great White Pine, sealing a promise of peace between the nations in the early 1400s.
The U.S. Mint
2010
The Great Tree of Peace was a Great White Pine, its five-needle clusters representing the five original nations: Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca. In the early 1400s, the Haudenosaunee Confederation, or Iroquois Confederacy, symbolically buried weapons at the foot of a Great White Pine, sealing a treaty of peace between the nations. Their peace inspired European settlers, showing them that the confederacies they had only read about before were viable, setting the stage for the modern democracy we have today.
The 2011 reverse commemorates the peace treaty between the Puritans at Plymouth and the Massasoit of the Pokanoket Wampanoag in 1621.
The U.S. Mint
2011
One of the first peace treaties between the Native Americans and European colonists was between the Puritans at Plymouth and the Massasoit of the Pokanoket Wampanoag in 1621.
The 2012 reverse is representative of the early trade relationships between the early Native Americans prior to European contact.
The U.S. Mint
2012
Native Americans maintained healthy trade between nations across the continent long before European settlers appeared. When the settlers began to go further inland, exploring the New World, they often followed in the company of Natives on their trade routes. These trade routes were the early versions of the modern-day interstate highway system.
The reverse of the 2013 coin represents the Delaware Treaty of 1778, the first formal peace treaty between the U.S. Government and a Native American Nation.
The U.S. Mint
2013
The Delaware Treaty of 1778 was the first formal treaty between the United States and a Native American nation. The mutual defense treaty allowed American troops to pass through the Delaware Tribe’s land to attack the British fort at Detroit, Mich. The treaty recognized the Delaware Nation’s sovereignty. The treaty would later become the blueprint for incorporating Native nations into the federal system.
The 2014 reverse honors the friendships and hospitality shown to the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Native Americans as they crossed the Continental Divide.
The U.S. Mint
2014
The 2014 coin honors the hospitality shown by the Native Americans to the Lewis and Clark Expedition as they crossed the Continental Divide. Lewis and Clark depended heavily on the tribes’ friendship, supplies, and support.
The reverse of the 2015 dollar honors the bravery of Native American warriors, both past and present.
The U.S. Mint
2015
Native warriors took great pride in their bravery and put their lives on the line to help the people. This pride translated to modern high-risk jobs such as “high iron” construction, essential to the building of skyscrapers. They have been crucial to the development of modern-day America, from the construction of buildings to the construction of bridges.
The reverse of the 2016 coin honors the Code Talkers from fourteen different Native American nations who served during World War I and World War II. The Japanese acknowledged that they were never able to break the Navajo code.
The U.S. Mint
2016
Code Talkers played an essential role during World War I and World War II. They used their native languages to create secret battle codes. Their efforts paid off as the enemies were never able to decode the messages, resulting in many Allied lives being saved.
The 2017 reverse honors the Cherokee Syllabary by Sequoyah, leading to Cherokee literacy and the first Native American newspaper.
The U.S. Mint
2017
The invention of the Cherokee Syllabary by Sequoyah led to thousands of Cherokee becoming literate and gave way to the first Native American newspaper. It opened dialogue between the Cherokee and the U.S. government.
The reverse of the 2018 coin honors Jim Thorpe, an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist (classic pentathlon and decathlon) in the 1912 Summer Olympics—the first Native American (Sac and Fox Nation) to win a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics.
The U.S. Mint
2018
James Francis “Jim” Thorpe became one of the most versatile athletes of the early 20th century. In 1912, Thorpe represented the U.S. at the Olympics held in Sweden. He came in first in eight of fifteen events.
The reverse of the 2019 coin honors Native American contributions to America's space exploration program.
The U.S. Mint
2019
The 2019 coin honors the contributions made by Native Americans in space exploration.
The 2020 reverse honors Elizabeth Peratrovich, a member of the Tlingit Nation, who was instrumental in the first anti-discrimination law passed in the U.S. in 1945.
The U.S. Mint
2020
The first anti-discrimination law passed in the U.S. was thanks to Elizabeth Peratrovich in 1945, a member of the Tlingit nation. Her passion resulted in the prohibition of discrimination in access to public accommodations in Alaska. 2020 was the 75th anniversary of Peratrovich’s famous testimony to the Alaskan Senate.
The 2021 reverse honors the Native Americans who have served in the U.S. military, beginning with the Revolutionary War.
The U.S. Mint
2021
The 2021 coin acknowledges the Native Americans who have served in the U.S. military, starting with the Revolutionary War. They have the highest rate of people to serve in proportion to their population than any other ethnic group.
The reverse of the 2022 coin honors Ely Samuel Parker, U.S. Army officer, engineer, and tribal diplomat.
The U.S. Mint
2022
Ely Samuel Parker is featured on the 2022 Native American dollar. A U.S. Army officer, engineer, and tribal diplomat, Parker served as the military secretary under Ulysses S. Grant.
The 2023 reverse honors Maria Tallchief, the first prima ballerina from the United States and the first Native American to receive the title.
The U.S. Mint
2023
Maria Tallchief was the first prima ballerina from the U.S. and the first Native American to receive this title. The American Women Quarters Program released her dollar coin the same year as her quarter.
The reverse of the 2024 coin features the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924.
The U.S. Mint
2024
This year, the theme is the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, signed into law on June 2, 1924. It granted citizenship to all non-citizen Indians born within the United States territorial limits. The Act allowed Native Americans to maintain their identity as Native Americans while gaining the rights and protections of U.S. citizens.
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