United States 2015 Native American – Mohawk Ironworkers $1 Coin

The 2015 Native American dollar coin celebrates the contributions of the Mohawk Ironworkers. For nearly a century, ironworkers from the Mohawk tribe have changed the landscape of many of America’s urban centers, working at perilous heights, fastening steel beams, and assembling the skeletal structure of the nation’s iconic skyscrapers. The coin’s reverse design is the work of United States Mint Artist Ronald D. Sanders. The design was engraved by Phebe Hemphill.

The 2015 Native American Mohawk Ironworkers dollar coin has a nominal face value of $1 but is struck only for collectors and sold by the Mint in sets, and in roll and bag quantities.

Design

Obverse:

Artist Glenna Goodacre’s portrait of Sacagawea is representative of the Corps of Discovery explorer and her child Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. As no contemporary portraits of Sacagawea exist, Goodacre’s effigy is based on the likeness of then-23-year-old Shoshone model Randy’L He-dow Teton (born 1976). On the coin, Sacagawea’s body is facing to the right, her head turned 2/3 of the way to the side, eyes making direct contact with the holder of the coin. Baby Jean is asleep in a papoose. Wrapping around the top of the coin is LIBERTY. IN GOD WE TRUST is inscribed in small letters to the left of Sacagawea. The date and mintmark on issues struck before 2009 were located to the right of Sacagawea’s chin, but have since been removed from the obverse and are now inscribed on the rim. Glenna Goodacre’s initials “gg” are drawn in incuse at the 7 o’clock position, adjacent to the rim.

Reverse:

A construction worker from the Mohawk tribe stands high above the New York City skyline. His right arm extended to a grab and guide a steel beam. His left hand grips the “porthole” that frames the coin’s design. A fisheye look at the surrounding buildings and water features effectively communicate a sense of height and scale. The worker’s right foot stands atop a beam, wherein the incuse inscription MOHAWK IRONWORKERS appears. At the four and eight o’clock positions are two bolts. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps around the top of the design. The value of the denomination is represented as “$1” and appears in the skyline, to the left of the Empire State Building.

Edge:

Lettering on the edge features the date 2015, the specific coin’s mint mark, and the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM.

Designers

Glenda Goodacre’s design of Native American explorer Sacagawea was chosen after a nationwide design contest (View Designer’s Profile).

Designer Phebe Hemphill joined the U.S. Mint in 2006, and since that time has become one of the nation’s most prolific coin designers (View Designer’s Profile). 

Artist Ronald D. Sanders joined the Mint’s design staff through the Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program (View Designer’s Profile).

Coin Specifications