2016-07-05 Tue

The designs for the Presidential medals to honour Barack Obama have been finalized and they are soon going to be produced. The Presidents who have served for two terms are mostly honoured with two different medals, which is the case with Barack Obama.

On 16th June, two designs were reviewed by the Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee did the same on 27th June. Both parties arrived at the same conclusion.

Out of the 6 proposed designs, two obverse and one reverse designs were for Obama’s first-term medal and one obverse and two reverse designs were for the second.

The approved design for the first term medal shows a larger portrait of President Obama with inscriptions ‘BARACK OBAMA’. The reverse has a quote from Obama’s first inaugural address ‘OUR DESTINY IS NOT WRITTEN FOR US. IT IS WRITTEN BY US’. Other inscriptions include the Presidential seal, the inauguration date ‘JANUARY 20, 2009’, a signature and 50 stars.

The design approved for the second term medal features a left-facing portrait of the president and the inscription ‘BARACK OBAMA’. The reverse features a quote from Obama’s second inaugural address, ‘THE SINGLE MOST POWERFUL WORD IN OUR DEMOCRACY IS THE WORD "WE."’. The White House, the inauguration date ‘JANUARY 20, 2013’, a signature, the words ‘WE THE PEOPLE, WE SHALL OVERCOME’ and ‘YES WE CAN’, and 50 surrounding stars are also depicted.

Bronze duplicates of the medals will also be available for collectors.