2016-05-04 Wed

After President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the citizens of U.S made a public appeal to mint official coins featuring him. A special law was passed to redesign the half dollar as a minimum gap of 25 years was required before a new design is released. By March 1964, 26 million Kennedy half dollars were into circulation.

Since the death of Mr. Kennedy was a real shock for the U.S citizens, the coin release was a special way for the nation to show their respect.

Similarly, Harriet Tubman would be the new face of the $20 bill. She would be the first woman to be featured on currency notes from over 100 years.

The reverse of the $10 bill will include leaders of the suffrage movement, while that of the $5 bill will feature civil rights leaders. The final designs will be unveiled in 2020.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, U.S. currency featured Lady Liberty for sending an ideological message about the country's values.

In the late 1970s, women's suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony was the first woman to appear on a U.S. coin.

Decades later, Shoshone guide Sacagawea was featured on the obverse of the gold dollar coin with the intention to feature Native Americans and women on national currency.

During the Civil War, when there was increased religious sentiment due to which "In God We Trust" motto first appeared on U.S. coins. It appeared on paper notes in 1957 after a law was passed requiring the inscription to appear on all coins and bills. The motto was meant to differentiate between communism and U.S. democracy.

Washington featured on coins in 1932 on his 200th birth anniversary. President Franklin D. Roosevelt first appeared on coins in 1946, one year after his death. The Apollo 11 moon landing was celebrated with the release of the Eisenhower silver dollar in 1971.

Study of coinage is definitely a good way to understand history of a country.