The Leif Ericson Millennium commemorative coins are a series of coins issued in 2000 by the
United States Mint
The United States Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bullion. It does not produce paper money; tha ...
to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of
Leif Ericson's discovery of the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
.
United States coin
One of the two coins of the series was a
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
one dollar coin. The obverse features a portrait of Leif Ericson, designed by
John Mercanti
John M. Mercanti (born April 27, 1943) is an American sculptor and engraver. He was the twelfth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint until his retirement in late 2010.
Biography
Mercanti was born in Philadelphia. There, he attended the Penn ...
. The reverse features Ericson's ship, designed by T. James Ferrell.
Of the 500,000 coins authorized, the
Philadelphia Mint
The Philadelphia Mint in Philadelphia was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national ...
struck 28,150 uncirculated and 58,612
proof coins
Proof coinage refers to special early samples of a coin issue, historically made for checking the dies (as in demonstrating that something is true) and for archival purposes. Nowadays proofs are often struck in greater numbers specially for co ...
.
Icelandic coin
The other coin had the same composition and specifications as the silver dollar, but was denominated in 1,000
Icelandic króna
The króna or krona (sometimes called Icelandic crown; sign: kr; code: ISK) is the currency of Iceland. Iceland is the second-smallest country by population, after the Seychelles, to have its own currency and monetary policy.
Name
Like the ...
. The obverse features an image of
Stirling Calder’s sculpture of Leif Ericson, while the reverse features an eagle, a dragon, a bull and the giant from the
Icelandic Coat of Arms. Both sides of the coin were designed by Throstur Magnusson.
A maximum mintage of 150,000 coins was authorized, of which 15,947 were produced at the Philadelphia Mint (all with a proof finish without a mintmark).
File:2000 Leifur Eiriksson Proof Dollar (Iceland).jpg, Leif Ericson 1,000 króna coin
See also
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United States commemorative coins
The United States Mint has minted numerous commemorative coins to commemorate persons, places, events, and institutions since 1848. Many of these coins are not intended for general circulation, but are still legal tender. The mint also produces c ...
*
List of United States commemorative coins and medals (2000s)
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Icelandic króna
The króna or krona (sometimes called Icelandic crown; sign: kr; code: ISK) is the currency of Iceland. Iceland is the second-smallest country by population, after the Seychelles, to have its own currency and monetary policy.
Name
Like the ...
References
{{US commemorative coinage (2000s)
Leif Erikson
Modern United States commemorative coins