The designs for the commemorative Harriet Tubman coins have been announced.
The US Mint has unveiled its designs for a trio of coins, to be minted in 2024, in honor of the bicentennial of the birth of the famed abolitionist, suffragist, and Civil War veteran.
Last year, Congress passed the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act to create the coins. Former US Representative John Katko pushed hard for the act’s passage. He previously told Finger Lakes News Radio he was proud to do his part to honor the legacy of an underrepresented hero from a city full of historic significance.
“There’s a lot of historical significance in Auburn and Tubman is a towering figure,” Katko said. “Even though she was diminutive in stature, she was a towering figure in the antislavery movement and the women’s rights movement. She’s a great American hero, vastly underrepresented in history.”
He added that, aside from the historical significance, this will help the city with tourism.
“We want to promote Harriet Tubman anytime we can from a tourism standpoint in Upstate New York and to tout her home and her legacy here. But also, there’s a financial component because, by selling these coins, the Harriet Tubman Home, which is a national park, gets a cut of these proceeds, and it’s estimated as much as $4 million could go to help maintain the park and enhance it. So, it’s a win-win situation all the way around.”
Surcharges from the sale of the $5 gold, $1 silver, and $0.50 coins will go to the Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati.
“The Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coin Program will celebrate the life and legacy of an extraordinary woman,” said United States Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson. “We hope this program will assist both the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. in accomplishing and advancing their missions.”
The coins will be sold on the US Mint’s website.
