Numismatic

2023-S American Innovation $1 Lung Transplant Proof (Mississippi)

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This dollar coin highlights a monumental achievement in medical history, representing the state of Mississippi as part of a multi-year tribute to American ingenuity. The series honors pioneering breakthroughs from all fifty states, the federal district, and U.S. territories, releasing four distinct designs annually in the chronological order of statehood. This specific issue features a unique composition of copper, zinc, manganese, and nickel bonded over a core of pure copper, backed by the United States government. The reverse of the coin captures a dramatic moment in the operating room, depicting a pair of human lungs alongside two gloved hands exchanging surgical instruments. This powerful image is accompanied by the inscriptions FIRST HUMAN LUNG TRANSPLANT, MISSISSIPPI, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. On the obverse, a side profile of the Statue of Liberty stands alongside a stylized gear privy mark, representing the spirit of industry and innovation. It also bears the face value of $1 and the traditional motto IN GOD WE TRUST. Along the edge of the coin, the year 2023, the S mint mark indicating its San Francisco origin, and the phrase E PLURIBUS UNUM are incused.