CCAC Selects American Liberty Designs

Designs for the 2023 American Liberty high-relief 24-karat gold coin and silver medal were up for discussion when the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) met via teleconference on Feb. 15.

The CCAC, whose role is to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on any theme or design proposals relating to U.S. coinage and medals, reviewed and discussed candidate designs submitted for the two American Liberty pieces set for release next year.

After a committee vote, the obverse design that was chosen was one featuring a bristlecone pine, a species native to California, Nevada and Utah. It is thought to be the oldest living organisms on Earth, living up to 5,000 years. Bristlecone pines grow in places where other plants cannot, and are often the species that is first to repopulate the land after cataclysmic changes such as a lava run or glacial runoff. The silver medal has the additional inscription “WE SHALL PERSEVERE.”

The reverse design that the CCAC recommended depicts the moments before a bald eagle’s first attempt at flight. A young bald eagle stands on a rocky outcropping, looking over its shoulder just before finding the courage to fly.

The CCAC’s design picks will be sent on to the Secretary of the Treasury for review.