Mount Rushmore Anniversary coins

The Mount Rushmore Anniversary commemorative coins are a series of commemorative coins which were issued by the United States Mint in 1991. The coins honored the 50th anniversary of the completion of Gutzon Borglum's colossal sculpture, the Shrine of Democracy, at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The statue and the coins feature George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

Legislation

The Mount Rushmore Commemorative Coin Act (Pub. L. 101–332) authorized the production of three coins, a clad half dollar, a silver dollar, and a gold half eagle, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the dedication of Mount Rushmore. The act allowed the coins to be struck in both proof and uncirculated finishes.^[1] The coins were first released on February 15, 1991.

Designs

Half dollar

The obverse of the Mount Rushmore Anniversary half dollar, designed by Marcel Jovine, features Mount Rushmore and a sunburst. The reverse, designed by T. James Ferrell, shows a classic image of an American buffalo.^[2]

Dollar

The obverse of the Mount Rushmore Anniversary dollar, designed by Marika Somogyi, features the mountainside of Mount Rushmore wreathed in laurel. The reverse, designed by Frank Gasparro, features the Great Seal over a map of the United States, with a star marking the location of Mount Rushmore. It includes the words Shrine of Democracy, the original name of the sculpture.^[3]

Half eagle

The obverse of the Mount Rushmore Anniversary half eagle, designed by John Mercanti, features the American Eagle in flight over Mount Rushmore and six stars on the right edge. The reverse, designed by Robert Lamb, features a stylized inscription, "Mount Rushmore National Memorial".^[4]

Specifications

Half Dollar

Display Box Color: Gray
Edge: Reeded
Weight: 11.34 grams
Diameter: 30.61 millimeters; 1.205 inches
Composition: 92% Copper, 8% Nickel (Cupronickel)

Dollar

Display Box Color: Gray
Edge: Reeded
Weight: 26.730 grams; 0.76 troy ounce
Diameter: 38.10 millimeters; 1.50 inches
Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

Half Eagle

Display Box Color: Gray
Edge: Reeded
Weight: 8.359 grams; 0.24 troy ounce
Diameter: 21.59 millimeters; 0.850 inch
Composition: 90% Gold, 6% Silver, 4% Copper

References

^ "Text of H.R. 1028 (101st): 1990 Mount Rushmore Commemorative Coin Act (Passed Congress version)". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
^ "1991 Mount Rushmore Anniversary Coins". United States Mint. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
^ "Mount Rushmore Anniversary Silver Dollar". United States Mint. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
^ "Mount Rushmore Gold $5". United States Mint. Retrieved 2021-05-16.

[1] "Text of H.R. 1028 (101st): 1990 Mount Rushmore Commemorative Coin Act (Passed Congress version)". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2021-05-16.

[2] "1991 Mount Rushmore Anniversary Coins". United States Mint. Retrieved 2021-05-16.

[3] "Mount Rushmore Anniversary Silver Dollar". United States Mint. Retrieved 2019-05-16.

[4] "Mount Rushmore Gold $5". United States Mint. Retrieved 2021-05-16.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e ← 1970s and 1980s United States commemorative coins (1990s) 2000s →
1990	Eisenhower Centennial dollar
1991	Mount Rushmore Anniversary coins Korean War Memorial dollar USO 50th Anniversary dollar
1992	1992 Summer Olympics commemorative coins White House Bicentennial dollar Christopher Columbus Quincentenary coins
1993	Bill of Rights commemorative coins World War II 50th Anniversary commemorative coins
1994	1994 World Cup commemorative coins Thomas Jefferson 250th Anniversary dollar (dated 1993) Vietnam War Memorial dollar Prisoners of War dollar Women in Military Service for America Memorial dollar US Capitol Bicentennial dollar
1995	Civil War Battlefields commemorative coins Centennial Olympics commemorative coins Special Olympics World Games dollar
1996	Centennial Olympics commemorative coins National Community Service dollar Smithsonian 150th Anniversary commemorative coins
1997	Botanic Garden dollar Jackie Robinson commemorative coins Law Enforcement Officers Memorial dollar Franklin Delano Roosevelt half eagle
1998	Robert F. Kennedy dollar Black Revolutionary War Patriots dollar
1999	Dolley Madison dollar Yellowstone National Park dollar George Washington half eagle 50 State quarters

v t e Mount Rushmore
Shrine of Democracy
Construction	Gutzon Borglum (sculptor) Lincoln Borglum (assistant sculptor) Luigi Del Bianco (chief carver) Walter K. Long (assisted) Doane Robinson (conceived idea) Peter Norbeck (political promoter, Norbeck-Williamson Act of 1929)
Subjects	George Washington Thomas Jefferson Theodore Roosevelt Abraham Lincoln
Museum	Lincoln Borglum Museum
Location	Black Hills of South Dakota
Legacy	In popular culture Mount Rushmore Anniversary coins National symbols of the United States
Related	Charles E. Rushmore (namesake) 2020 fireworks celebration Mount Rushmore Syndrome USS Rushmore (LSD-14) USS Rushmore (LSD-47)

v t e George Washington
1st President of the United States (1789–1797) Senior Officer of the Army (1798–1799) Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army (1775–1783) Delegate to the Second Continental Congress (1775) Delegate to the First Continental Congress (1774)
Military career Revolutionary War	Military career French and Indian War Jumonville Glen Battle of Fort Necessity Battle of the Monongahela Forbes Expedition Washington in the American Revolution Commander-in-chief, Continental Army Aides-de-camp Washington's headquarters office and sleeping tent Boston campaign Siege of Boston New York and New Jersey campaign Delaware River crossing Battle of Trenton Battle of the Assunpink Creek Battle of Princeton Philadelphia campaign Battle of Brandywine Battle of Germantown Battle of White Marsh Valley Forge Battle of Monmouth Battles of Saratoga Sullivan Expedition Yorktown campaign Siege of Yorktown Culper Spy Ring Newburgh Conspiracy Newburgh letter Asgill Affair Evacuation Day Resignation as commander-in-chief Badge of Military Merit Purple Heart Washington Before Boston Medal Horses Nelson Blueskin
Other U.S. founding events	Initiated, co-wrote, 1769 Virginia Association Initiated, 1774 Fairfax Resolves Continental Association Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture 1785 Mount Vernon Conference Chairman, 1787 Constitutional Convention George Washington's political evolution
Presidency (timeline)	1788–89 United States presidential election First inauguration inaugural bible 1792 presidential election Second inauguration Reception at Trenton Title of "Mr. President" Cabinet of the United States Secretary of State Attorney General Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of War Judiciary Act of 1789 Oath Administration Act Nonintercourse Act Whiskey Rebellion Militia Acts of 1792 Coinage Act of 1792 United States Mint Presidential Succession Act of 1792 United States Capitol cornerstone laying Proclamation of Neutrality Neutrality Act of 1794 Jay Treaty Pinckney's Treaty Slave Trade Act of 1794 Residence Act Thanksgiving Proclamation Farewell Address State of the Union Address 1790 1791 1792 1793 1796 Cabinet Federal judicial appointments John Rutledge Supreme Court nominations
Views and public image	Presidential library The Washington Papers Religious views Washington and slavery Town Destroyer Legacy
Life and homes	Early life Birthplace Ferry Farm boyhood home Mount Vernon Fishery Gristmill Whiskey distillery Woodlawn Plantation Longfellow House–Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Ford Mansion, Washington's headquarters Hasbrouck House First Presidential Mansion Second Presidential Mansion President's House, Philadelphia Germantown White House Custis estate Washington's relations with the Iroquois Confederacy Potomac Company James River and Kanawha Canal Mountain Road Lottery Congressional Gold Medal Thanks of Congress President General of the Society of the Cincinnati Washington College Washington and Lee University Electoral history of George Washington Post-presidency of George Washington
Memorials and depictions	Washington, D.C. Washington state Washington Monument Mount Rushmore Washington's Birthday Purple Heart The Apotheosis of Washington Washington Monument (Boonsboro, Maryland) Washington Monument (Baltimore) George Washington (Houdon) plaster copy George Washington (Ceracchi) George Washington (Canova) George Washington (Greenough) George Washington (Trumbull) George Washington and the Revolutionary War Door Revolutionary War Door Washington Crossing the Delaware The Passage of the Delaware General George Washington at Trenton Washington at Verplanck's Point General George Washington Resigning His Commission Surrender of Lord Cornwallis Unfinished portrait Lansdowne portrait The Washington Family portrait Washington at Princeton paintings George Washington Taking the Salute at Trenton Reception at Trenton painting Statues Trenton Battle Monument Princeton Battle Monument Point of View sculpture George Washington on Horseback Austin statue Baltimore statue Boston statue Mexico City statue Morristown statue Newark statue New York City statue Wall Street statue Paris statue Perth Amboy statue Philadelphia statue Portland statue Washington, D.C. statue West Point monument George Washington University Washington University in St. Louis Washington Masonic National Memorial George Washington Memorial Parkway George Washington Bridge Washington and Jefferson National Forests Washington Square Park Arch U.S. Postage stamps Washington–Franklin Issues 1932 bicentennial Currency Washington quarter 50 State Quarters D.C. and territories quarters America the Beautiful quarters American Women quarters History Instructing Youth dollar Washington dollar Lafayette dollar Silver bullion coins Washington nickel Washington half eagle 250th Anniversary half dollar Mount Rushmore Anniversary coins Mount Washington Cultural depictions George Washington (1984 miniseries 1986 sequel) A More Perfect Union (1989 film) The Crossing (2000 film) We Fight to Be Free (2006 film) Turn: Washington's Spies (2014–2017 series) The War that Made America (2006 miniseries) Washington (2020 miniseries) Hamilton (film)
Related	Bibliography List of articles Founders Online Founding Fathers of the United States Republicanism Federalist Party Federalist Era Virginia dynasty Coat of arms Cherry-tree anecdote River Farm Washington's Crossing Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route 1751 Barbados trip Category Syng inkstand General of the Armies Conway Cabal American Foxhound American Philosophical Society American Revolution patriots Betsy Ross flag Mount Vernon Ladies' Association Mount Vernon replicas George Washington Memorial Building Attempted theft of Washington's skull
Family	Martha Washington (wife) John Parke Custis (stepson) George Washington Parke Custis (step-grandson, adopted son) Eleanor Parke Custis (step-granddaughter, adopted daughter) Augustine Washington (father) Mary Ball Washington (mother) Lawrence Washington (half-brother) Augustine Washington Jr. (half-brother) Elizabeth Washington Lewis (sister) Samuel Washington (brother) John A. Washington (brother) Charles Washington (brother) Lawrence Washington (grandfather) Mildred Gale (grandmother) John Washington (great-grandfather) George Reade (2nd great-grandfather) Bushrod Washington (nephew)
Slaves	List Betty Caroline Branham William Costin Sarah Johnson Oney Judge William Lee Hercules Posey Christopher Sheels Deborah Squash Harry Washington
John Adams → Category

v t e Thomas Jefferson
3rd President of the United States (1801–1809) 2nd Vice President of the United States (1797–1801) 1st United States Secretary of State (1790–1793) U.S. Minister to France (1785–1789) Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1783–1784) 2nd Governor of Virginia (1779–1781) Delegate to the Second Continental Congress (1775–1776) Delegate, Fifth Virginia Convention (1776)
Founding documents of the United States	A Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774) Olive Branch Petition (1775) Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (1775) Declaration of Independence (1776) Committee of Five physical history "All men are created equal" "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" "Consent of the governed" Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786) Land Ordinance of 1784 Land Ordinance of 1785
French Revolution	Co-author, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)
Presidency	Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves Louisiana Purchase Lewis and Clark Expedition Empire of Liberty Dunbar and Hunter Expedition Red River Expedition Pike Expedition Cumberland Road Embargo Act of 1807 Chesapeake–Leopard affair Non-Intercourse Act First Barbary War Native American policy Burr conspiracy Marbury v. Madison West Point Military Academy State of the Union Addresses 1801 1802 1805 Cabinet Federal judicial appointments
Other noted accomplishments	Early life and career Franco-American alliance Founder, University of Virginia history Ratification Day Anti-Administration party Democratic-Republican Party Jeffersonian democracy Coinage, Weights, and Measures report (1790) Residence Act Compromise of 1790 Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions A Manual of Parliamentary Practice (1801) Jefferson disk Swivel chair Megalonyx
Jeffersonian architecture	Barboursville Farmington Monticello gardens Poplar Forest University of Virginia The Rotunda The Lawn Jefferson Hall Virginia State Capitol White House Colonnades
Other writings	The Papers of Thomas Jefferson Notes on the State of Virginia (1785) Pyratical states of Barbary proposals (1786) European journey memorandums (1787) Indian removal letters The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (c. 1819) Jefferson manuscript collection Founders Online
Related	American Enlightenment American Philosophical Society Founding Fathers of the United States Historical reputation Jefferson and education Religious views Jefferson and slavery Jefferson and the Library of Congress Jefferson Pier Pet mockingbird National Gazette Sally Hemings Jefferson–Hemings controversy Betty Hemings Separation of church and state Tufton Farm Governor's Palace (Williamsburg, Virginia) Virginia dynasty Ward republic
Elections	Presidential elections 1796 1800 1804
Legacy and memorials	Bibliography Jefferson Memorial Mount Rushmore Birthday Thomas Jefferson Building Jefferson River Jefferson Territory Jefferson Lecture Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service Statues Karl Bitter Louisville University of Virginia David d'Angers Jefferson Literary and Debating Society Thomas Jefferson Foundation Jefferson Lab Monticello Association Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson College Thomas Jefferson University Washington and Jefferson National Forests Peaks and mountains Jefferson Rock Other placenames Jefferson–Jackson Day Currency depictions Jefferson nickel Two-dollar bill Louisiana Purchase Exposition gold dollar 250th Anniversary silver dollar U.S. postage stamps
Cultural depictions	The Patriots (1946 play) 1776 1969 musical 1972 film Jefferson in Paris (1995 film) Thomas Jefferson (1997 film) John Adams (2008 miniseries) Jefferson's Garden (2015 play) Hamilton (2015 musical) Wine bottles controversy Cultural depictions of Sally Hemings
Family	Martha Jefferson (wife) Martha Jefferson Randolph (daughter) Mary Jefferson Eppes (daughter) Harriet Hemings (daughter) Madison Hemings (son) Eston Hemings (son) Thomas J. Randolph (grandson) George W. Randolph (grandson) Ellen Randolph Coolidge (granddaughter) Cornelia Jefferson Randolph (granddaughter) Francis Eppes (grandson) John Wayles Jefferson (grandson) Sarah N. Randolph (great-granddaughter) T. Jefferson Coolidge (great-grandson) Frederick Madison Roberts (great-grandson) Peter Jefferson (father) Jane Randolph Jefferson (mother) Lucy Jefferson Lewis (sister) Randolph Jefferson (brother) Peter Carr (nephew) Samuel Carr (nephew) Dabney Carr (nephew) Dabney S. Carr (grand-nephew) Isham Randolph (grandfather) William Randolph (great-grandfather) Henry Soane (2nd great-grandfather)
← John Adams James Madison → ← John Adams Aaron Burr → Category

v t e Theodore Roosevelt
26th President of the United States (1901–1909) 25th Vice President of the United States (1901) 33rd Governor of New York (1899–1900) Assistant Secretary of the Navy (1897–1898) New York City Police Commissioner (1895–1897)
Presidency (timeline)	First inauguration historic site Second inauguration Foreign policy "Square Deal" Booker T. Washington dinner Conservation Newlands Reclamation Act Transfer Act of 1905 Antiquities Act Pelican Island Devils Tower National Monument Muir Woods National Monument United States Forest Service, United States Reclamation Service National Wildlife Refuge System Roosevelt Arch Conference of Governors Northern Securities Company breakup court case Coal strike of 1902 Pure Food and Drug Act Food and Drug Administration Meat Inspection Act Expediting Act Elkins Act Hepburn Act Aldrich–Vreeland Act Tillman Act of 1907 Federal Employers Liability Act Kinkaid Act Big stick ideology Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty Panama Canal Zone Panama Canal Venezuelan crisis Roosevelt Corollary Occupation of Cuba Russo-Japanese War Treaty of Portsmouth 1906 Nobel Peace Prize Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907 Army War College Roosevelt Hall College football meetings Bureau of Investigation Department of Commerce and Labor Bureau of Corporations Keep Commission Inland Waterways Commission Bureau of the Census Great White Fleet Perdicaris affair Cabinet White House West Wing State of the Union Address, 1901 1906 1908 White House desk Federal judiciary appointments
Other events	Spanish–American War Rough Riders Battle of Las Guasimas Battle of San Juan Hill "Bull Moose" Progressive Party New Nationalism Assassination attempt Boone and Crockett Club Smithsonian–Roosevelt African expedition "River of Doubt" Amazonian expedition
Life and homes	Birthplace, boyhood home replica Sagamore Hill Home and Museum Maltese Cross Cabin Elkhorn Ranch Pine Knot cabin Gravesite
Writings and speeches	Theodore Roosevelt bibliography The Naval War of 1812 (1882 book) "The Strenuous Life" (1899 speech) League to Enforce Peace "Citizenship in a Republic" (1910 speech) "Progressive Cause Greater Than Any Individual" (1912 post-assassination-attempt speech) Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography (1913 book) The Forum magazine articles Theodore Roosevelt Cyclopedia Archival collections
Elections	1898 New York state election Republican National Convention: 1900 1904 1912 1916 United States presidential elections: 1900 1904 1912
Legacy	Bibliography Mount Rushmore Theodore Roosevelt Center and Digital Library White House Roosevelt Room Theodore Roosevelt National Park Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness Theodore Roosevelt Island Roosevelt National Forest Roosevelt Park (San Antonio) Roosevelt Study Center Theodore Roosevelt Association Mount Rushmore Anniversary coins Statues New York City Portland, Oregon Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park Monument Assemblage Theodore Roosevelt Monument Roosevelt Memorial, Portland, Oregon Proposed presidential library Theodore Roosevelt United States Courthouse Roosevelt River Theodore Roosevelt Bridge Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge Theodore Roosevelt Award USS Theodore Roosevelt (1906, 1961, 1984) Roosevelt Road U.S. postage stamps
Popular culture	Teddy bear "Speak softly, and carry a big stick" Books Films Terrible Teddy, the Grizzly King, 1901 film Roosevelt in Africa, 1910 documentary The Rough Riders, 1927 film Teddy, the Rough Rider, 1940 film Rough Riders, 1997 miniseries The Roosevelts, 2014 documentary Theodore Roosevelt, 2022 miniseries Elkhorn, 2024 series
Related	Political positions "Bully pulpit" Ananias Club "Nature fakers" League to Enforce Peace A Guest of Honor "Muckraker" "Roosevelt Republican" Barnes vs. Roosevelt libel trial
Family	Alice Hathaway Lee (first wife) Edith Kermit Carow (second wife) Alice Lee Roosevelt (daughter) Theodore Roosevelt III (son) Kermit Roosevelt (son) Ethel Carow Roosevelt (daughter) Archibald Roosevelt (son) Quentin Roosevelt (son) Theodore Roosevelt IV (grandson) Cornelius V. S. Roosevelt III (grandson) Quentin Roosevelt II (grandson) Kermit Roosevelt Jr. (grandson) Joseph Willard Roosevelt (grandson) Edith Roosevelt Derby (granddaughter) Theodora Roosevelt (granddaughter) Theodore Roosevelt Sr. (father) Martha Bulloch Roosevelt (mother) Anna "Bamie" Roosevelt (sister) Elliott Bulloch Roosevelt (brother) Corinne Roosevelt (sister) Cornelius Roosevelt (grandfather) James Stephens Bulloch (grandfather) James Alfred Roosevelt (uncle) Robert Barnhill Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (niece) Gracie Hall Roosevelt (nephew) Pete (dog)
← William McKinley William Howard Taft → ← Garret Hobart Category