Nation Gets Second Chance to Buy Historic Nickels from the United States Mint

Washington — Recently signed legislation authorizes the United States Mint once again to sell products containing the popular 2004 and 2005 Westward Journey Nickel Series™ 5 — cent coins (nickels). The United States Mint’s remaining bags and rolls of nickels, first day coin covers and silver proof sets containing the nickels will go on sale at noon (ET) on July 25, 2006.

The Westward Journey Nickel Series marked the first time in 66 years that the Nation’s nickel was redesigned. A series of four images on the reverse — “Peace Medal,” “Keelboat,” “American Bison” and “Ocean in View” — commemorate the bicentennials of the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Louisiana Purchase. The fifth nickel, completing the series, is the 2006 “Return to Monticello” coin that features a forward–facing Thomas Jefferson on the obverse (head side) and Monticello on the reverse.

Legislation signed in 2003 that authorized the Westward Journey Nickel Series also ended the United States Mint’s authority to issue these coins on December 31, 2005. A “Technical Correction” to the San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act signed by President Bush on June 15, 2006, declared that the Secretary of the Treasury “may continue to issue, after December 31, 2005, numismatic items that contain 5–cent coins minted in the years 2004 and 2005.” The United States Mint has maintained that if this legislation became law, the United States Mint would offer remaining inventory for sale again. There will be an order limit of 10 per order per household for the United States Mint Silver Proof Set™.

These remaining United States Mint products will once again be available for sale.

These products may be ordered at the United States Mint website at www.usmint.gov or by calling 1–800–USA–MINT (872–6468). Lesson plans about the Westward Journey Nickel Series may be downloaded free from the website at www.usmint.gov/kids.