2016 Liberty Centennial Gold Coins

Just as all Americans treasure the pursuit of liberty, collectors of American coins have always been strongly attracted to the theme of liberty. It is represented on U.S. coins in the allegorical form of Lady Liberty, the personification of our cherished ideals and, in many ways, the founding concept of our country.

The idea behind the creation of these three coins came from the widespread dissatisfaction with the designs of U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Charles Barber. In 1914, members of the influential New York Numismatic Club encouraged the U.S. Mint to produce new, better designs to replace three Barber coins - the Dime, Quarter, and Half Dollar - which was met with strong interest by the U.S. Mint’s leadership at that time.

After a design competition and meetings by the Commission of Fine Arts, the designs of acclaimed sculptor Adolph Weinman were selected for both the Dime and the Half Dollar. These became known as the Winged Liberty Head, or Mercury, Dime and the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. Herman MacNeil's design was selected for the Quarter, which became known as the Standing Liberty Quarter.

Each of the three coins contains important symbolism in their design. The Weinman Dime, which was immediately recognized as a major achievement in numismatic art, uses the head of a female Liberty wearing a winged cap. The artist explained that he chose the head because a full figure would not fit on a coin of this size and that “the wings crowning her cap are intended to symbolize liberty of thought.” The reverse has always been surrounded by a degree of controversy because it uses fasces, which is also featured in early Fascist imagery, but Weinman explained that he selected the motif “of the fasces and olive branch to symbolize the strength which lies in unity, while the battleax stands for preparedness to defend the Union.”

Weinman’s Liberty Half Dollar is one of the best-known classic American coin besides the Morgan Dollar, a July 1916 article in The Numismatist magazine of the ANA noted: “The goddess [Lady Liberty] is striding toward the dawn of a new day, carrying laurel and oak branches, symbolic of civic and military glory. The reverse shows an eagle perched high up on a mountain crag, wings unfolded. The pine growing out of the rock symbolizes America.” 

The Standing Liberty Quarter of Herman MacNeil “is intended to typify the awakening of the country to its own protection. Liberty, a full figure, is shown stepping toward the country’s gateway, bearing upraised a shield from which the covering is being drawn. The right-hand bears an olive branch of peace.” The reverse shows an eagle in full flight with its wings extended

Expect a High Demand for Gold Centennials

The 2016 tributes to these three beautiful and magnificent Liberty-themed coins will have broad appeal across the numismatic spectrum, including classic and modern coin collectors, and they are also likely to contribute to even greater interest in the original 1916 silver coins. They are clearly aimed at the true collector, rather than those who speculate on modern coinage.

Like the 2009 Ultra High Relief gold coin, which had a rather high mintage of 115,000 coins but has maintained its value and popularity over time, this Gold Centennial Coin Series is likely to remain in high demand long after the coins are no longer available from the Mint. Collectors often focus obsessively on mintages, but the fact is that certain coins, usually those with truly outstanding designs that everyone loves, are always in demand no matter how many coins were issued.