The following press release was issued today by the National Baseball Hall of Fame to announce judges in the Baseball Coin Design Competition being held by the United States Mint. All five judges announced today are former major leaguers who have been elected to the Hall of Fame. The winning design will represent the heads side of the 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act authorizes a three–coin program of $5 gold, $1 silver, and half–dollar clad coins and requires a competition to select a common heads design emblematic of the game of baseball.
(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – Five of the game’s greatest players of the 20th century will help select the design of the coin destined to become a favorite of baseball fans and coin collectors for the 21st century and generations to come.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the United States Mint announced today the names of the judges who will help choose the image for the obverse (heads side) of the 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin. The judges are all Hall of Famers and represent more than half of the nine positions on the diamond: Joe Morgan (second baseman, elected 1990); Brooks Robinson (third baseman, elected 1983); Ozzie Smith (shortstop, elected 2002); Don Sutton (pitcher, elected 1998); and Dave Winfield (outfielder, elected 2001).
The design competition, which began April 11 and runs through May 11 at noon ET, is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents ages 14 and older. The winner of the design competition will be awarded $5,000 and the winner’s initials will appear on the minted coins.
“This is a Hall of Fame lineup that’s sure to produce a winner,” said Jeff Idelson, President, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “Our Hall of Fame members show year–round support for our efforts to fulfill our mission to Preserve History, Honor Excellence and Connect Generations, and this is yet another example of the legends of the game stepping to the plate for the Museum. We are so appreciative of the efforts of Joe, Brooks, Ozzie, Don and Dave – and we all look forward to the final design selection.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Richard Hanna sponsored the National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2012. The Coin Act calls for a three–coin program of $5 gold, $1 silver, and half–dollar clad coins, and requires a competition to select a common obverse design emblematic of the game of baseball.
“The Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin creates a lasting legacy for baseball and our national pastime,” said Dave Winfield, Hall of Fame Class of 2001. “It is an honor for me to be a judge in this competition, to review submissions and help select the winning design that will appear on these coins. This program will ensure that the Hall of Fame can reach new audiences through its award–winning educational programs from Cooperstown for audiences around the world.”
In addition, the $5 gold and $1 silver coins will be the first “curved” coins minted and issued by the United States Mint, with the reverses (tail sides) being convex to more closely resemble a baseball and the obverses being concave to provide a more dramatic design. The winning obverse design will be unveiled later this year.
Guidelines for submitting designs include:
- The obverse design must be “emblematic of the game of baseball” and must include the inscriptions “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” and “2014.”
- Two–dimensional designs must be monochrome, not color, and three–dimensional models must be made using neutral plaster or a durable plastic material and should be approximately 8″ in diameter.
- Designs must not include the name or depiction of a real player or any other person, living or not.
- Designs must not include depictions, names, emblems, logos, trademarks or any other indicia associated with any specific commercial, private, educational, civic, religious, sports, or other organizations whose membership or ownership is not universal, including any current or former baseball team, either professional or amateur.
- Designs must not include any depiction of a real baseball stadium, field, arena, either in whole or in part, whether or not currently existing or in use.
- Employees of the Department of the Treasury, including the United States Mint and other Treasury offices and bureaus, are ineligible.
A Kids’ Baseball Coin Design Challenge for children ages 13 and under is also being held separately through May 23. Winners of the Kids’ Baseball Coin Design Challenge for children ages 13 and under will receive a $1 silver National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin and a certificate. The winning children’s designs will also be showcased on the Department of the Treasury, United States Mint and National Baseball Hall of Fame websites. The Kids’ Baseball Coin Design Challenge is hosted on Challenge.gov. For more information, please visit www.usmint.gov/kids/kidsbatterup .
For both the design competition and the kids’ challenge, the United States Mint will be working with the U.S. Government website, www.challenge.gov. For guidelines, rules and entry instructions, please visit www.baseballhall.org/coin–design and www.usmint.gov.
The United States Mint was created by Congress in 1792. It became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. It is the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage and is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. The United States Mint’s numismatic programs are self–sustaining and operate at no cost to the taxpayer.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Museum observes summer hours of 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. from Memorial Day Weekend until the day before Labor Day. From Labor Day until Memorial Day Weekend, the Museum observes daily regular hours of 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Ticket prices are $19.50 for adults (13 and over), $12 for seniors (65 and over) and for those holding current memberships in the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and AMVets organizations, and $7 for juniors (ages 7–12). Members are always admitted free of charge and there is no charge for children 6 years of age or younger. For more information, visit our Web site at baseballhall.org or call 888–HALL–OF–FAME (888–425–5633) or 607–547–7200.
For More Information, Please Contact:
Brad Horn, Senior Director of Communications and Education
607–547–0287, bhorn@baseballhall.org
Craig Muder, Director of Communications
607–547–0227, cmuder@baseballhall.org