Privy-marked versions of the silver medal featuring Robert Scot’s Flowing Hair motif may be the next must-have for collectors
By CoinWeek News Staff ….
Listed as “Currently Unavailable” on the United States Mint’s ordering website just one week after its release on October 15, collector enthusiasm for the 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair Silver Medal has lead to a rare sell-out for a Mint-made medal. The medal celebrates the 230th anniversary of Chief Engraver Robert Scot’s Flowing Hair Liberty design deployed on the Flowing Hair Dollar, which became the first dollar coin struck by the fledgling United States Government on October 15, 1794.
One reason for the high demand is that, out of a maximum mintage of 75,000, a selection will feature a privy mark of the number “230” and a small scroll on the obverse. These privy-marked pieces, which will be dispersed among the Mint’s inventory of the regular Flowing Hair Silver Medal and shipped randomly to 1,794 lucky collectors, are sure to be one of this year’s hot collector’s items.
Two hundred and thirty of the privy-marked medals will also come with its Certificate of Authenticity personally signed by Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson.
Both the regular and privy-marked versions of the 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair Silver Medal are struck at the Philadelphia Mint with an Uncirculated finish on 99.9% pure (.999 fine) silver planchets. Besides a Certificate of Authenticity, each piece comes in an acrylic capsule and clamshell box inside a black presentation case with the Mint seal and an outer sleeve embossed with a silver Flowing Hair Liberty motif. A limit of one medal per household was applied for the first 24 hours of sales, and the initial retail price of $104 remains in effect. To sign up for notifications when stock becomes available again, visit the product page at catalog.usmint.gov/230th-anniversary-flowing-hair-silver-medal-24YH.html.
About the 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair Design
The obverse of the 230th Anniversary Silver Medal features a rendition of the nation’s first dollar coin created and sculpted by the first Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, Robert Scot. Liberty faces right, her eponymous hair flowing loosely behind her. Fifteen six-pointed stars wrap around the rim, eight on the left and seven on the right. At the top, the word LIBERTY interrupts the chain of stars, and the date 2024 separates the two groupings at the bottom. The 15 stars symbolize the 15 states that had joined the Union by 1794.
The Mint employed Scot’s take on Lady Liberty on such classic early silver U.S. coinage as the half dime, half dollar, and, of course, the dollar. Among the revival of other classic designs in the last decade, the Flowing Hair motif stands out as the furthest back in time to be revived so far, having last been used on circulating coinage dated 1795. It was replaced by the Draped Bust design in 1796.
On the 2024 medal, Scot’s design has been re-sculpted by U.S. Mint Medallic Artist John P. McGraw.
The reverse features a depiction of Scot’s original eagle surrounded by a laurel wreath of the Two Leaves variety. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA runs clockwise around the design along the rim.
Mint Medallic Artist Eric David Custer re-sculpted the reverse design for the new medal.
Anticipation Builds for the 230th Anniversary High-Relief Gold Coin
In just over three weeks, the Mint will offer the companion 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair High-Relief Gold Coin. A select few of these will be auctioned to the public. More information will become available closer to the coin’s release.
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