American Innovation Dollars

2018 only saw one coin release from the Innovation Dollars program. This coin served as the inaugural coin of the American Innovation $1 Coin Program. Its reverse pays tribute to George Washington and the first U.S. patent he ever issued to Samuel Hopkins on July 31, 1790. This moment chronicles the first of countless future U.S. patents for American innovations over the centuries.

Delaware

The reverse design of the Delaware American Innovation $1 Coin pays homage to Annie Jump Cannon, a pioneering astronomer from Delaware renowned for her groundbreaking work in star classification. It features a stylized image of Cannon against a backdrop of stars, symbolizing her major contributions to the development of contemporary stellar classification systems and her enduring legacy in the field of astronomy.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s reverse design for its own American Innovation $1 Coin celebrates the creation of the polio vaccine in 1953, a monumental medical breakthrough led by Dr. Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh. The design features an intricate depiction of a microscope, symbolizing the research and innovation required to develop the vaccine, alongside a stylized poliovirus at a cellular level, commemorating this pivotal moment in medical history that has had a lasting global impact.

New Jersey

For New Jersey’s American Innovation $1 Coin, the reverse design pays tribute to Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb invention of the light bulb, a transformative moment in history that forever shaped the future and its possibilities. The design features a detailed depiction of the Edison bulb against an ornate background, capturing the brilliance and ingenuity of Edison's invention that dramatically altered the course of daily life and paved the way for future innovations in electric light and power.

Georgia

The Georgia American Innovation $1 Coin celebrates the Trustees' Garden, established by James Oglethorpe in Savannah during the early 1730s as an agricultural experiment station aimed at producing semitropical products for English sponsors and the crown. The reverse design of the coin artistically depicts a hand planting seeds, giving life to a diverse array of plants representing the varied species cultivated in the garden, such as orange trees, grapes, and olives, reflecting the garden's historical significance and its role in agricultural experimentation.

Connecticut

The Connecticut American Innovation Dollar pays tribute to the Gerber Variable Scale, a revolutionary engineering tool created by Connecticut native Joseph Gerber. The design intricately depicts the scale itself, highlighting its significance in transforming the design and drafting processes in engineering while celebrating the innovative spirit that continues to thrive in Connecticut.

Massachusetts

With the Massachusetts American Innovation Dollar, Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone is paid a fitting tribute, showcasing a depiction of his early prototype and highlighting the transformative impact of this innovation on global communication. The design captures the moment of innovation and pays tribute to Bell’s perseverance and ingenuity, embodying Massachusetts’ rich history of technological advancement and creative thinking.

Maryland

The reverse design of the Maryland American Innovation $1 Coin celebrates the Hubble Space Telescope and its profound impact on astronomy since its launch in 1990. The Hubble Space Telescope was developed by NASA in Maryland, and it continues to be managed by both NASA and Space Telescope Science Institute, which is also located in Maryland. The design features a stylized representation of the telescope set against a field of stars, symbolizing its role in expanding our understanding of the universe and capturing groundbreaking images from the farthest reaches of space.

South Carolina

South Carolina’s American Innovation $1 Coin honors educator and civil rights activist Septima Poinsette Clark. The design showcases her profile and depicts her tireless efforts in education and the civil rights movement. Clark is shown in front of three African-American students, one holding the American flag, symbolizing the significant impact of her work on the state and the nation in promoting equality and educational opportunities for all.

New Hampshire

The reverse design of the New Hampshire American Innovation $1 Coin commemorates Ralph Baer and his invention of the first home video game console. The design creatively depicts Baer’s original brown box game “Handball,” with “Player 1” and “New Hampshire” included on the left side of the coin. This design captures the essence of innovation and the profound impact that Baer’s work has had on the gaming and entertainment industry worldwide.

Virginia

Virginia’s American Innovation coin features a stylized depiction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, a remarkable engineering feat that connects Southeastern Virginia to the Delmarva Peninsula. The bridge tunnel spans more than 17 miles with multiple tunnels and bridges and even four man-made islands. This innovation dollar captures the grandeur and innovative construction techniques that reflect Virginia’s commitment to progress and connectivity.

New York

The reverse design for New York’s American Innovation $1 Coin pays tribute to the Erie Canal, a monumental 19th-century engineering achievement that played a crucial role in the economic development of New York and the United States. The design features a detailed depiction of a packet boat journeying down the canal, highlighting the canal’s significance in facilitating transportation, trade, and migration and celebrating New York’s innovative spirit in transforming the nation’s infrastructure and commerce.

North Carolina

The reverse design of the North Carolina American Innovation $1 Coin honors the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specifically its influence as a pioneer in public higher education, being the first public institution of higher learning and the only one to have conferred degrees in the 18th century. The design prominently features three textbooks, with the middle labeled “First Public University” with a lamp of knowledge resting atop the books, symbolizing UNC’s rich history and enduring commitment to educational innovation and excellence since its establishment in 1789.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island’s American Innovation coin celebrates the development and implementation of the famous yacht Reliance by Nathanael Herreshoff, a renowned naval architect from Rhode Island. Herreshof incorporated many advanced technical innovations with the design and construction of his famous yacht, which paved the way for future yacht designs and development. The design features an intricate depiction of the Reliance, blazing through the waters surrounding Rhode Island, highlighting the state’s significant contributions to maritime innovation and the sport of sailing.

Vermont

The American Innovation coin for Vermont commemorates the creation of snowboarding, a sport pioneered in the state. The design depicts a snowboarder in dynamic motion, capturing the energy and excitement of the sport while paying tribute to the sport’s transformative impact on winter recreation and the snow sports industry at large.

Kentucky

The Kentucky American Innovation Dollar celebrates the invention of bluegrass music, a genre deeply rooted in a blend of traditional ballads, blues, and jazz and popularized by Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. The reverse design of the coin artistically features a banjo, a central instrument in bluegrass music, capturing the vibrant rhythm and movement synonymous with the genre’s high tempos and sophisticated vocal harmonies.

Tennessee

The American Innovation Dollar for Tennessee commemorates the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, highlighting its pivotal role in providing electricity to rural communities and becoming the nation's largest public utility supplier. The coin's reverse design captures this historical moment, showcasing a Tennessee farm with newly installed power lines, symbolizing the TVA’s impact in bringing electricity to rural areas and spurring the formation of rural electric cooperatives across the United States.

Ohio

The reverse design for Ohio’s American Innovation Dollar pays tribute to the Underground Railroad, recognizing Ohio's crucial role as a pivotal connection in this decentralized network aiding enslaved African Americans on their journey to freedom. The innovation dollar’s design poignantly illustrates this journey, featuring clasped hands and a breaking chain, symbolizing the mutual support between those seeking freedom and those assisting them, as well as the powerful break from the shackles of slavery.

Louisiana

Louisiana’s American Innovation $1 Coin honors the inventive Higgins Boat, a crucial element in the Allied forces' success during World War II, designed by Andrew Jackson Higgins of New Orleans. The coin's reverse side vividly depicts a Higgins Boat at a wartime beach landing, showcasing its characteristic front ramp and flat-bottomed design, innovations that allowed troops and equipment to swiftly and efficiently reach the shore.

Indiana

The Indiana American Innovation $1 coin highlights the state's substantial contributions to the automobile industry, highlighting its role in both technological advancements and the promotion of car culture through iconic events like the Indianapolis 500. The coin's reverse design captures this automotive legacy, showcasing a progression of vehicles from an early gas automobile and classic car production to a modern Indy-style race car, reflecting Indiana's enduring influence in the automotive world.

Mississippi

The Mississippi American Innovation Dollar celebrates the groundbreaking achievement of Dr. James D. Hardy and his team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, who performed the world's first human lung transplant on June 11, 1963, marking a pivotal moment in medical history. The coin's reverse design artistically commemorates this medical milestone, depicting a surgeon’s hands passing a surgical instrument with a pair of human lungs in the background, symbolizing the pioneering procedure and its lasting impact on lung disease therapy.