The United States Mint is celebrating its 225th anniversary in a very special way. On April 6, the first in a series of commemorative $100 24-Karat gold Lady Liberty coins will be issued, featuring Lady Liberty as an African American woman.
Black Lady Liberty
© US MintThe $100 24-karat gold coin will be released in April 2017.
On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, Deputy Treasury Secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin, and United States Mint Principal Deputy Director Rhett Jeppson unveiled designs for the 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin in the historic Department of the Treasury's Cash Room.

Smithsonian Magazine reports the issuing of the $100 coin is the kickoff to the Mint's 225th anniversary year and is the first in part of a series that will also depict Lady Liberty as Asian-American, Hispanic-American, and Indian-American, "to reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States."

NBC News is reporting that at the ceremony unveiling the new coin, U.S. Mint chief Elisa Basnight said, "We live in a nation that affords us the opportunity to dream big and try to accomplish the seemingly impossible."

In a press release, the U.S. Mint stated it will "depict an allegorical Liberty in a variety of contemporary forms." Since the passage of the Coinage Act of 1792, all coins are required to feature an "impression emblematic of liberty," in either an image or words. And until the new coin, designed by Justin Kunz was unveiled, Lady Liberty has always been depicted as a white woman.

"We are very proud of the fact that the United States Mint is rooted in the Constitution," said Principal Deputy Director Jeppson. "Our founding fathers realized the critical need for our fledgling nation to have a respected monetary system, and over the last 225 years, the Mint has never failed in its mission."