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Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee

801 Ninth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20220

United States Mint
801 9th Street NW
Washington DC 20220
Minutes of CCAC Public Meeting (Videoconference)
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
(1:00 pm–4:41 pm)

I. Attendance
a. CCAC Members in Attendance:
• Mary Lannin (Chair)
• Arthur Bernstein
• Lawrence Brown
• Sam Gill
• Dean Kotlowski
• Michael Moran
• Robin Salmon
• Donald Scarinci
• Dennis Tucker
• Thomas Uram
• Peter Van Alfen
b. Mint Officers and Staff in Attendance:
• Betty Birdsong, Deputy Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Pam Borer, Design Manager, Office of Design Management
• Russell Evans, Design Manager, Office of Design Management
• Boneza Hanchock, Design Manager, Office of Design Management
• Ron Harrigal, Manager, Design and Engraving
• Joe Menna, Chief Engraver
• April Stafford, Chief, Office of Design Management
• Roger Vazquez, Design Manager, Office of Design Management
• Jennifer Warren, Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs; and Liaison to the
CCAC
• Greg Weinman, Senior Legal Counsel; and Counsel to the CCAC
• Elizabeth Young, Attorney Advisor and attorney assigned to the 2023 American Innovation
$1 Coin program
c. Members of the Media in Attendance:
• Brandon Hall, Coin Update and Mint News Blog
• Maggie Judkins, Numismatic News
• Mike Unser, Coin News
• Paul Gilkes, Coin World

Established by An Act of Congress, Public Law 108-15
https://www.ccac.gov

d. Liaisons to the programs to be considered in attendance
• For the State of Ohio: Mr. Stephen George, Senior Advisor to the CEO, Ohio History
Connection
• For the State of Mississippi: Ms. Laura Hipp, Chief Marketing Officer, Mississippi
Development Authority
II Minutes
1. The public meeting was called to order by Chair Mary Lannin at 1:00 pm. Roll was called with 11
members in attendance; media attendance was recognized; and the attendance of Mint staff and
officers was recognized.
2. April Stafford described the reverse candidate designs under consideration for the 2023 American
Innovation $1 Program (Public Law 115-197), and reminded the Committee of the framework of the
law and that it is to honor innovation or innovators from each of the 50 states, territories and the
District of Columbia.
3.

The first program presented by the Mint was the candidate reverse designs for the 2023 American
Innovation $1 Coin for Ohio.
• Ron Harrigal and Joseph Menna were asked if any technical considerations were warranted
and assured the Committee all designs were able to be produced.
• Before the Committee reviewed the reverse designs, April Stafford noted the preferred design
for the state of Ohio was OH-04, an Underground Railroad conductor raising a lantern in the
foreground as a group of passengers ascends the 300-foot-high stairs to safety at the John
Rankin house, a key step on the journey from a slave state to freedom.
• The Committee was presented with two themes for Ohio - the Underground Railroad, and the
invention of human flight.

4. Mr. Stephen George, liaison representing the state of Ohio, reiterated the importance of the
Underground Railroad in Ohio’s history, including the John Rankin House.
5. The Committee had a robust conversation regarding the Underground Railroad versus the theme of
human flight. Members discussed that various coins and medals released in the recent past
commemorated flight giving the example of the 50 States quarter for the state of North Carolina.
6. After the discussion, the Committee scored the designs. Because the points assigned to three of the
designs was so close, a motion was made by Dean Kotlowksi, seconded by Arthur Bernstein, to
recommend design OH-01 as the reverse. The motion passed, 10 to 1. OH-01 depicts two strong
hands grasped together, the upper arm pulling the lower arm upward, representing the support and
strength required by both parties on the Underground Railroad. A chain fastened to a rustic shackle
around the lower arm's wrist snaps in fragments, alluding to the hope of freedom. The additional
inscription is "Underground Railroad." The scores assigned to the full portfolio is as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

OH- 01: 20 (recommended design)
OH-02: 3
OH-02A: 2
OH-03: 8
OH-04: 10
OH-06: 6
OH-07: 5
Established by An Act of Congress, Public Law 108-15
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

OH-08: 4
OH-09: 5
OH-10: 5
OH-11: 1
OH-12: 1
OH-13: 1
OH-14: 13
OH-15: 18
OH-16: 2
OH-17: 18

7. A motion was made by Robin Salmon, seconded by Dean Kotlowski, to adjust the letters
“Underground Railroad” to mirror the position of “United States of America.” The motion failed by a
vote of 4 to 7.
8. The next order of business was the acceptance of the minutes and letters from the previous meeting
held on April 20, 2021. Dr. Lawrence Brown made the motion to accept the minutes and letter which
was seconded by Arthur Bernstein. The motion passed 10 to 1.
9. Next, April Stafford presented the reverse candidate designs for the 2023 American Innovation $1
Coin for the State of Louisiana. The state had two themes: jazz and the Higgins boat. Ms. Stafford
indicated the governor’s preference was for the Higgins boat design LA-13, which depicts a Higgins
Boat with its ramp in the lowered position while troops actively disembark at their chosen landing
site. The additional inscription is "home of the Higgins Boat."
10. After consideration of the two themes and the artwork accompanying them, the Committee felt that
the innovation of jazz was the better theme and while they discussed all the Higgins designs in light
of the Governor’s recommendation, their focus swayed to the jazz designs because they felt that jazz
best represented the state of Mississippi.
11. The Committee discussed the reverses and recommended LA-07 with a score of 22 points out of a
possible 33. LA-07, features a central inscription of the word "jazz," stylized with wrought ironwork
that is so often seen in the architecture of many businesses and homes in the French Quarter. The
many twists, turns, and flourishes of wrought iron mimic the qualities that make jazz music unique.
The scores of the full portfolio are as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

LA-01:
LA-02:
LA-03:
LA-04:
LA-05:
LA-06:
LA-06A:
LA-07:
LA-08:
LA-09:
LA-09A:
LA-10A:
LA-11:

15
4
3
4
10
10
20
22 (recommended design)
3
4
4
4
7
Established by An Act of Congress, Public Law 108-15
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•
•

LA-12:
LA-13:

4
5

12. April Stafford then presented the reverse candidate designs for 2023 American Innovation $1 Coin
for the State of Indiana, which had a single concept for the automobile industry. Indiana boasts a
long history of innovation in automobile manufacturing and promoting the role of the automobile in
American culture. Hoosiers played a role in the invention, refinement, and manufacturing of
headlights, rearview mirrors, tilt steering, cruise control, pneumatic rubber tires, and car heaters.
Indiana produced a prolific number of auto parts manufacturing and automobile manufacturers,
including Marmon, Studebaker, Stutz, and Duesenberg.
13. After some discussion the Committee recommended IN-03, assigning the design 23 points out of a
possible 33 score. IN-03, showcases several of the innovations that Indiana companies and inventors
contributed to the automobile industry. A gas pump and speedometer are seen across the top half of
the design. Across the bottom, a race car speeds by on a stylized road and references the
advancements made in motorsports. Points assigned to designs in this portfolio is as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

IN-01: 17
IN-02: 12
IN-03: 23 (recommended design)
IN-04: 9
IN-05: 2
IN-06: 18
IN-07: 3
IN-08: 3
IN-09: 2
IN-09A: 2
IN-10: 3
IN-11: 5

14. April Stafford presented the last portfolio of reverse candidate designs to the Committee. This
portfolio was the 2023 American Innovation $1 Coin for the State of Mississippi, which presented
two design concepts, the Delta blues and the first human lung transplant.
15. Ms. Laura Hipp, Chief Marketing Officer for the Mississippi Development Authority, said Governor
Reeves preferred the reverse candidate design MS-13, which highlights their medical theme, a lesser
known innovation for Mississippi.
16. The Committee members looked at all of the designs and while it felt that Mississippi has every right
to be proud of their advances in the medical field, they felt that the majority of coin collectors would
tap their toes to the Delta blues.
17. After discussion, the Committee recommended design MS-03, assigning it 22 points out of a possible
33 score. The Committee felt that Mississippi Delta blues was the preferable theme. The
recommended design features an abstract view of an older man playing a resonator guitar. This guitar
was adapted by blues musicians in the 1920s and is still used today, just as the culture and tradition
pass to each new generation. The wave pattern in the lower right evokes the waters of the Mississippi
River. Points assigned to each design in this portfolio are as follows:

Established by An Act of Congress, Public Law 108-15
https://www.ccac.gov

MS-01:
MS-02:
MS-03:
MS-04:
MS-05:
MS-06:
MS-07:
MS-08:
MS-09:
MS-10:
MS-11:
MS-12:
MS-13:
MS-14:

6
18
22 (recommended design)
7
7
2
4
2
10
5
11
5
16
7

18. Dennis Tucker made a motion, seconded by Dr. Lawrence Brown, that the Committee encourage the
Secretary to consider its recommendations for the 2023 American Innovation $1 Coin Program as a
set rather than individual coin design per each state recommendation. The motion passed 6 to 5.
19. Additional discussion followed and Dr. Dean Kotlowski made a motion, seconded by Peter van
Alfen, that the Committee reconsider encouraging the Secretary to consider its recommendations for
the 2023 American Innovation $1 Coin Program as a set rather than individual coin design per each
state recommendation. The motion passed with 10 votes and one abstention.
20. A working group composed of Thomas Uram, Donald Scarinci, Robin Salmon, and Lawrence Brown,
reported out its recommendations with respect to upcoming commemorative coin and medal
programs.
21. In accordance with 31 U.S.C. §5135, the CCAC is charged with`(1) Advising the Secretary of the
Treasury on any theme or design proposals relating to circulating coinage, bullion coinage,
congressional gold medals and national and other medals produced by the Secretary of the Treasury
in accordance with section 5111 of title 31, United States Code, and (2) Advising the Secretary of the
Treasury with regard to-- `(A) the events, persons, or places that the Advisory Committee
recommends be commemorated by the issuance of commemorative coins in each of the 5 calendar
years succeeding the year in which a commemorative coin designation is made; `(B) the mintage level
for any commemorative coin recommended under subparagraph (A); and `(C) the proposed designs
for commemorative coins.
22. Tom Uram, who heads the working group, summarized six potential themes from their May 10, 2021,
meeting. Committee members were asked to vote on each of the six themes. The result of each is
noted below.
1. Environmental and climate change and animals (passed via unanimous vote)
2. Stock car, car racing, NASCAR or automobiles in general; (passed via vote of 10 to 1)
3. American horse racing (passed via unanimous vote).
4. Dogs (passed via unanimous vote)
5. Architecture, city planning, landscape architecture, environment (passed via unanimous
vote)
6. American poets (passed via unanimous vote)

Established by An Act of Congress, Public Law 108-15
https://www.ccac.gov

23. A motion was made by Dr. Peter van Alfen, seconded both by Sam Gill and Robin Salmon, to
adjourn. The vote was unanimous and Chair Lannin adjourned the meeting at 4:41pm. It was
announced that the next public meeting would be a two day meeting, held via video conference on
June 15-16, 2021.

Established by An Act of Congress, Public Law 108-15
https://www.ccac.gov