By Jill Westeyn
August 1, 2024
The Honorable Ventris C. Gibson and a small team of United States Mint (Mint) employees spent the last half of July showcasing the Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coin program with members from the recipient organizations.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (NURFC) in Cincinnati was the first stop. Director Gibson participated in a Fireside Chat on July 19, 2024. The next day, Director Gibson gave a presentation “A Reimaged History and Vision Forward,” speaking about being the first African American Director of the Mint. This was followed by a short Q&A session. Later that afternoon, Director Gibson signed COA’s for visitors who purchased coins that day.
The Mint’s second and final stop was in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the 52nd Quadrennial General Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (A.M.E. Zion) Church. Harriet Tubman was a lifelong member of this church, the Freedom Church. Churches were “stations” on the Underground Railroad; countless members of congregations throughout the country (to include Harriet Tubman) worked to help free slaves.
Director Gibson delivered keynote remarks promoting the Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coin Program to approximately 3,000 Conference attendees on July 25. Additionally, Director Gibson was presented with the prestigious Harriet Tubman Quest for Freedom Award. Members of the Mint team answered questions and sold coins from the program, along with medals from the civil rights collection while on site.
The 2024 Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coin Program celebrates the bicentennial of Harriet Tubman’s birth in 2022. Public Law 117-163, the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act, directs the U.S. Mint to issue $5 gold coins, $ 1 silver coins, and half dollar clad coins as part of the program. Coin prices include surcharges of $35 for each $5 gold coin, $10 for each silver dollar, and $5 for each clad half dollar. The Public Law authorizes the surcharges to be paid to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Harriet Tubman Home, Inc., in Auburn, New York to advance their missions.
See more Inside the Mint articles.