The new coins honoring a local abolitionist are here.
The Harriet Tubman commemorative $5.00, $1.00, and $0.50 coins are on sale as of noon, Thursday. The US Mint will sell 50,000 $5.00 gold coins, 400,000 $1.00 silver coins, and 750,000 $0.50 coins.
Surcharges from the sale of the coins will benefit both the Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The coins were made possible thanks to the passage of the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act in 2022.
Former US Representative John Katko was a strong advocate for the act’s passage. He had 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.”
The coins are available for purchase on the US Mint’s website.
