Washington, D.C., April 14, 2000 — The United States Mint today announced that the Library of Congress Commemorative Coins, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Library of Congress, will be available April 24.
“We are honored to be part of a program celebrating the bicentennial of the Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution in the country and largest library in the world,” said U.S. Mint Acting Director John Mitchell. “As part of the celebration, the U.S. Mint will unveil two Library of Congress Commemorative Coins — a beautiful one–dollar silver coin, and for the first time ever, a skillfully prepared ten–dollar gold and platinum bimetallic coin.”
The two Commemorative Coins are considered to be “The Coins of Many Firsts” because they represent the first gold and platinum bimetallic coin struck by the U.S. Mint, the first U.S. Mint Commemorative Coins of this century and millennium, and the first U.S. Mint Commemorative Coins honoring a library.
The stunning Commemorative Bimetallic Coin contains precious metal combining an inner core of platinum encircled by an outer ring of gold. The outer ring is stamped from a sheet of gold, and then a solid core of platinum is placed within the ring. The gold ring and platinum core is then simultaneously coined forming an annular bead where the two precious metals meet.
The Bimetallic Coin’s obverse, designed by Mint engraver/sculptor John Mercanti, features the hand of Minerva raising the torch of learning over the dome of the magnificent Jefferson Building. The coin’s reverse, designed by Mint engraver/sculptor Thomas D. Rogers, Sr., contains the logo of the Library of Congress encircled by a laurel wreath.
The Commemorative Silver Dollar’s obverse, designed by Mint engraver/sculptor Thomas D. Rogers, Sr., is an open book superimposed over the torch of learning, which personifies the vast knowledge provided by the Library. The reverse, designed by Mint engraver/sculptor John Mercanti, is an architectural rendering of the dome on the Library’s Jefferson Building.
The Library of Congress, founded in 1800, comprises the world’s most comprehensive record of human creativity. Its three massive structures, the Jefferson, Adams, and Madison Buildings, contain nearly 119 million items on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves. The collection includes more than 18 million cataloged books, 2 million recordings, 12 million photographs, 4 million maps, and 53 million manuscripts.
President Thomas Jefferson played a pivotal role in the Mint’s and the Library’s development. Jefferson proposed the decimal coinage system we use today and was a leading advocate for founding a national mint on American soil. An avid learner and lifelong collector of books, Jefferson sold his personal library of 6,487 books to Congress for $23,950 after the British burned the new Capitol and Library in 1814.
Both Library of Congress Commemorative Coins are available at a pre–issue price, starting April 24 and ending June 9. Each coin is mounted in a handsome satin–lined velvet presentation case, accompanied by its own official Certificate of Authenticity.
The $10 Proof Bimetallic Coin is available at the pre–issue price of $395 through June 9, and for $425 thereafter, with the $10 Uncirculated Bimetallic Coin available at the pre–issue price of $380 through June 9, and for $405 thereafter.
The Proof Silver Dollar is available at the pre–issue price of $28 through June 9, and for $32 thereafter, with the Uncirculated Silver Dollar available for the pre–issue price of $25 through June 9, and $27 thereafter.
To qualify for pre–issue discount prices, orders must be postmarked or received by fax or telephone no later than June 9, 2000.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the coins is authorized to be used by the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board to help support outreach programs to make the Library’s collection accessible to all Americans.
Customers may order the Library of Congress Commemorative Coins directly online via the U.S. Mint secure web server at www.USMINT.gov and pay no additional shipping and handling charges. Customers who prefer to fax their orders may download an order form from the web site and fax it to (301) 344–4150, ATTN: Order Processing. Customers may order by telephone by calling 1–800–USA–MINT. Operators are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to take orders. Customers may also order by mail; send check or money order to United States Mint, P.O. Box 382612, Pittsburgh, PA 15250–8612. Please allow 4–6 weeks for delivery.