2016-06-01 Wed

To mark the 150th anniversary of America’s Civil Rights Act of 1866, the Pobjoy Mint recently issued an ultra high relief Proof 2016 $10 coin for the British Virgin Islands. The concave reverse features a depiction of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Multiple high-pressure strikes were used on a double-thick planchet to create the deep, three-dimensional design. The obverse features an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and the mintage is limited to 650 numbers only. The coin which comes along with a certificate of authenticity can be purchased for $179 each.

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was the first one to define U.S. citizenship and assure that all citizens are equally protected by law. It states that all citizens would enjoy the same right irrespective of race, colour, or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude.

President Lincoln was the mastermind behind the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and other such reforms that were introduced to protect the rights of the African Americans before he was killed in 1865. 100 years later, his contributions helped fuel the Civil Rights movement.

It took 4 long years to complete the 19 feet tall Lincoln Memorial statue which was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers under supervision of the sculptor Daniel Chester French.