Commemorative Half Dollar Coin Featuring Booker T. Washington, 1946
THF170779 / Commemorative Half Dollar Coin Featuring Booker T. Washington, 1946
01
Artifact Overview
In 1946, Booker T. Washington became the first African American featured on a coin issued by the U.S. Mint. Artist, sculptor, and educator Isaac Scott Hathaway -- the first African American commissioned by the U.S. Mint to design a coin -- created the commemorative half-dollar. Sales of the coin were earmarked to establish and maintain Washington's birthplace as a national monument.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Half dollar
Date Made
1946
Place of Creation
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
66.9.58
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Silver (Metal)
Color
Silver (Color)
Dimensions
Diameter: 1.183 in
Inscriptions
on front of coin:
1946 / HALF / DOLLAR / E PLURIBUS UNUM / BOOKER T. WASHINGTON / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
on back of coin:
Reverse shows a building at the top with FROM SLAVE CABIN/TO HALL OF FAME with Washington's log cabin birthplace beneath. To the left of the cabin IN GOD/WE/TRUST. To the right FRANKLIN/COUNTY/WASHINTON BIRTHPLACE MEMORIAL.
Keywords |
|---|
02
Related Content
SetAfrican American Artists and Craftspeople in the Collections of The Henry Ford
- 16 Artifacts
This selection of artifacts explores a diversity of creative expressions from the Black American community.
articleCoining Liberty: The Challenge of Commemorating Black History
Explore the American ideal of liberty through commemorative coins minted to recognize notable Black Americans Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver.
articleCast in Plaster: Isaac Hathaway and Sculpture as Black Biography
When Isaac Scott Hathaway created respectful sculptures of Black Americans, he challenged white exceptionalism. Learn more about the artist and related works in our collection.