WASHINGTON — The United States Mint announced today that the 2004–dated Keelboat design, the second 5–cent coin (nickel) of the Westward Journey Nickel Series™, will be available in two–roll sets and bags on August 2, 2004, at noon (ET).
Each 40–coin roll in the two–roll set is wrapped in a specially designed paper coin wrap that prominently displays “Westward Journey Nickel Series™”, a “P” or “D” representing the roll’s mint of origin, the year “2004,” and “$2” representing the face value of its contents. Each 500–coin bag is marked with “$25.00” and each 1,000–coin bag is marked with “$50.00” to indicate the face value of each bag’s contents. Two–roll sets will sell for $8.95, bags of 500 coins for $45.95 and bags of 1,000 coins for $79.95.
The new reverse of the second 2004–dated nickel features an image depicting an angled view of the keelboat with full sail that transported members of the Lewis and Clark expedition and supplies as they traveled the rivers of the Louisiana Territory in search of a northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean. Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are in full uniform in the bow.
The United States Mint released the first coin of the Westward Journey Nickel Series, featuring the Peace Medal reverse design, on March 1, 2004.
These two–roll sets and bags, featuring circulation quality nickels and struck on our main production floors at the United States Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver, will be shipped directly to customers. There is no order limit on these products. Please allow approximately two to three weeks for delivery.
Customers can purchase the nickels in two–roll sets and bags by using the United States Mint’s secure website, www.usmint.gov, or by calling 1–800–USA–MINT (872–6468). For more information about this ordering method, please visit www.usmint.gov. Hearing– and speech–impaired customers may order by calling 1–888–321–MINT (6468). A shipping and handling fee of $4.95 per order will be added to all domestic orders. Bags of 500 and 1,000 coins will each have an additional charge of $7.95 per bag because of their weight and size.
On April 23, 2003, President Bush signed into law legislation authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to change the design of the nickel through 2005 to commemorate the bicentennials of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition.
The obverse (heads side) of the nickels features the current likeness of Thomas Jefferson. A likeness of Jefferson will remain on the obverse throughout the nickel series, and his famous home Monticello will return to the reverse in 2006, although both the obverse and reverse may not be the current likenesses of Jefferson and Monticello.
The nickel bearing the current likeness of Jefferson on the obverse and Monticello on the reverse (tails side) was first issued on November 15, 1938. Felix Schlag won a design contest for the Jefferson nickel from among nearly 400 artists and was awarded $1,000 for his design.
Created by Congress in 1792, the United States Mint is the manufacturer of legal tender coinage for the United States. In FY 2003, the United States Mint manufactured approximately 11.4 billion coins and generated revenue of $1.4 billion.