The U.S. Mint officially announced the designs for the 2022 American Innovation $1 Coin Program, on Monday, Oct. 4. This multi-year series that started in 2018 honors innovation and innovators by issuing $1 coins for each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories.
The Mint works with the governors’ offices of each state to determine design concepts emblematic of innovation significant and meaningful to their jurisdiction. The Secretary of the Treasury selected the final design for each coin. The 2022 designs honor innovations/innovators from Rhode Island, Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
The Vermont $1 coin features a young female snowboarder in the air performing a trick called a “melon grab,” set against a mountainous winter skyline inspired by the landscape of Vermont. The aim of the design is to capture a sense of the energy and exuberance of snowboarding through movement implied by diagonal lines and curved shapes, according to the Mint’s press release.
“I am proud to have snowboarding representing Vermont in the Innovation $1 program,” said Governor Phil Scott. “In many ways, Vermont is the birthplace of modern snowboarding, and this coin represents Vermont’s contributions to the sport, from physical innovations in boards and bindings to the creativity and athleticism showcased by Vermonters—and others who train in the Green Mountains—in competition on the world stage.”
