U.S. Innovation Dollars

Four new reverse designs per year

Each new US Innovation dollar design is struck in the same alloy as the Presidential and Native American dollar coins (pure copper core with an outer layer of golden-colored manganese brass). With the exception of the single introductory design in 2018, the coins are released at the rate of four new designs per year – similar to the Presidential dollar series of 2007-2016.

A single US Innovation dollar motif was issued in 2018 to introduce the series. Bearing a dramatic image of the Statue of Liberty extending to the rim, this design established the common obverse for the series. The reverse features a representation of President George Washington's signature on the first U.S. Patent, which was issued in 1790.

Did you know... the first U.S. patent was issued to Samuel Hopkins for his new process of making concentrated potash. Created from hardwood ashes in early America, potash was a key ingredient of fertilizer for fruits and vegetables, was essential to the textile industry for bleaching linens and making soft soap to wash wool before weaving, and was used to make glass and china.

Coins issued in order of statehood

For the US Innovation dollar coins of 2019-2032, each unique reverse features a design representative of an important innovation, innovator, or group of innovators in each jurisdiction. Like Native American dollars, the US Innovation dollars feature edge-incused inscriptions of the year of issue, mint mark and motto e pluribus unum – Latin for "Out of many, one." Also, like the Statehood quarter series, these US Innovation dollars are issued in the order that its state entered the Union. In the case of the 13 original colonies, coins are issued in the order they ratified the U.S. constitution. The District of Columbia and 5 U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands) will follow the coins for the 50 states.

As with other dollar coins minted since 2012, these US Innovation dollars are being issued in limited quantities for collectors only, and not released for general circulation.