Lady Liberty, featured on the U.S. $100 gold coin, is of African-American descent for the very first time in American history.
The new $100 coin, which was designed by Justin Kunz, was unveiled on Thursday, marking the first time that Lady Liberty has not been portrayed by a white woman, according to NBC News.
Since the Coinage Act passed in 1792, it has been a requirement that all coins include an “impression emblematic of liberty.” That impression can be either words that appear on the coin or an image.
“As we as a nation continue to evolve, so does liberty’s representation,” Elisa Basnight, U.S. Mint chief of staff, said at a ceremony for the unveiling, according to NBC News. “We live in a nation that affords us the opportunity to dream big and try to accomplish the seemingly impossible.”
According to Metro, the 24-karat gold coin will be struck at the West Point Mint facility, which is based in New York, and released in April.
“1792” will be inscribed on the new coin as a representation of the year that the U.S. Mint was established. “2017” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” will also appear on the front side of the coin while the backside of it will feature a “bold and powerful eagle in flight.”
The unveiling of the $100 coin comes a year after the Treasury announced Andrew Jackson’s replacement on the $20 bill with historic civil rights activist and abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
According to the Mint, Lady Liberty will feature several new designs in the future as well — designs that represent Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Indian Americans, and other ethnicities.
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