Black Woman Makes History, Set to Appear as Lady Liberty on America's New Currency (Photos)

To commemorate the 225th anniversary of the United States Mint, the Treasury Department is making history by portraying Lady Liberty as a woman of colour on the country's currency for the first time ever.

 

The United States government on Wednesday, issued a new commemorative collector coin featuring Lady Liberty depicted as a black woman – the first time in history that the famed symbol of America is portrayed as an African American.

 

The 24-karat gold $100 coin was unveiled to mark the US Mint and Treasury's 225th anniversary.

 

 

The 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin shows the woman's head in profile with a crown of stars. It features the year of the mint's founding, 1792, as well as 2017.

 

Starting in April 2017, a commemorative $100 24-karat gold coin depicting Lady Liberty as a black woman wearing a crown of stars will be minted. Though the coin will be meant for collectors, it’ll mark the first time that Lady Liberty, a historical symbol of freedom, will be portrayed as nonwhite.

 

 

“The 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin is the first in a series of 24-karat gold coins that will feature designs which depict an allegorical Liberty in a variety of contemporary forms-including designs representing Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Indian-Americans among others-to reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States,” reads a press release from the Mint.

 

There is only one coin in circulation that features a person of colour. It’s the Sacagawea dollar.

 

 

In recent months the Treasury Department has made greater efforts to issue new currency notes and coins that better represent Americans of all backgrounds and acknowledge the groundbreaking achievements of leaders in the civil rights and women’s suffrage movements.

 

There is only one coin in circulation that features a person of color. It’s the Sacagawea dollar. The Sacagawea dollar is also one of two coins in circulation that features a woman (the Susan B. Anthony dollar was retired in 2000, though obviously it’s still accepted as payment).