The United States Mint recently released a new limited edition coin under its Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Program to increase awareness of breast cancer and raise funds for research, according to a press release.
Three variations of the coin will be available for purchase. The $5 coin is the first pink gold coin issued by the U.S. Mint. A $1 silver coin and a half-dollar clad coin are also available.
A competition was held to select the common design of each side of the coin, representing the fight against breast cancer. This year’s winner was the Mint’s artistic infusion program designer Emily Damstra. She designs zoological, botanical, anthropological, ecological, and paleontological illustrations for diverse clients, and has designed more than a dozen coins for the Royal Canadian Mint and a few postage stamps for the United Nations Postal Administration.
Damstra’s design features two women — an older woman with her hands on her chest and a relieved expression on her face, and a younger woman with a scarf on her head, holding one hand over the chest and the other raised in a fist as if she’s prepared to fight. A tiger swallowtail butterfly is flying above the two women, as a symbol of hope. The reverse side of the coin features a larger image of the butterfly.
The coins contain the following inscriptions: “LIBERTY,” “2018,” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the heads side, and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “BREAST CANCER AWARENESS,” as well as the respective denomination of each coin, on the tails side.
Signed into law April 29, 2016, the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act recognizes the many Americans who are impacted by the disease and supports research efforts to find a cure.
Each order includes surcharges of $35 for each gold coin, $10 for each silver coin and $5 for each half-dollar coin, which goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to support further research. The foundation is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and curing breast cancer.
Coins became available for purchase on March 15 and can be ordered through the U.S. Mint’s online catalog. Introductory pricing ends April 16.