Numismatic

2021-P American Innovation $1 Erie Canal BU (NY)

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The American Innovation dollar series celebrates the spirit of ingenuity by dedicating individual coins to key breakthroughs from every state, territory, and the federal district. Released in the chronological order of statehood at a pace of four designs annually, this specific 2021 release pays tribute to the Empire State. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in a brilliant uncirculated finish, the coin features a specialized multi-metal composition, bonding an outer layer of copper, zinc, manganese, and nickel to a core of pure copper. On the obverse, the Statue of Liberty is shown in a striking profile view. This side carries the essential inscriptions "IN GOD WE TRUST" and the "$1" face value, accompanied by a distinct privy mark shaped like a stylized gear to represent industrial progress. Edge lettering on the coin showcases the year of manufacture and the "P" mint mark. The reverse design captures the transformative impact of the Erie Canal. It depicts a traditional packet boat being towed along the waterway, transitioning from an eastern urban landscape toward the rural expanses of the west. This side is finished with the inscriptions "UNITED STATES of AMERICA" and "NEW YORK", commemorating a monumental engineering feat that reshaped early American commerce.