Just one week after its release on October 15, the 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair Silver Medal is already marked as “Currently Unavailable” on the United States Mint’s website. The high demand from collectors has resulted in a rare sell-out of this Mint-made medal. This special edition honors the 230th anniversary of Chief Engraver Robert Scot’s Flowing Hair Liberty design, which was featured on the first dollar coin minted by the United States Government on October 15, 1794.
One major factor driving the demand is that out of a maximum mintage of 75,000 medals, some will include a special privy mark featuring the number “230” along with a small scroll on the obverse side. These privy-marked pieces will be mixed in with the regular Flowing Hair Silver Medals and randomly sent to 1,794 fortunate collectors. They are expected to be highly sought after this year.
Additionally, 230 of the privy-marked medals will come with a Certificate of Authenticity, personally signed by Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson.
Both the regular and privy-marked versions of the medal are struck at the Philadelphia Mint. They feature an Uncirculated finish and are made of 99.9% pure silver. Each medal includes a Certificate of Authenticity and is packaged in an acrylic capsule and clamshell box, all inside a black presentation case. The case displays the Mint seal and comes with an outer sleeve embossed with a silver Flowing Hair Liberty design. For the first 24 hours of sales, there was a limit of one medal per household, and the retail price remains at $104.
Details on the 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair Design
The obverse of the 230th Anniversary Silver Medal showcases a rendition of the nation’s first dollar coin, designed by Robert Scot, the first Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. In the design, Liberty is depicted facing right, with her flowing hair billowing behind her. Fifteen six-pointed stars encircle the rim—eight on the left and seven on the right. The word “LIBERTY” is displayed at the top, while the date “2024” separates the two groups of stars at the bottom. The 15 stars represent the 15 states that were part of the Union in 1794.
Scot’s interpretation of Lady Liberty has appeared on various early U.S. silver coins, including the half dime and half dollar. Among the revived classic designs in recent years, the Flowing Hair motif is the oldest to be reintroduced, last used on circulating coinage in 1795 before being replaced by the Draped Bust design in 1796.
For the 2024 medal, Scot’s design has been re-sculpted by U.S. Mint Medallic Artist John P. McGraw.
The reverse side features an eagle design by Scot, surrounded by a laurel wreath of the Two Leaves variety. The words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” run along the rim in a clockwise direction. The reverse design has been re-sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist Eric David Custer.
Anticipation for the 230th Anniversary High-Relief Gold Coin
In just over three weeks, the Mint plans to release the companion 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair High-Relief Gold Coin. A limited number of these coins will be auctioned to the public. More details will be available as the release date approaches.
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