GREGORY TERRITORY COLLECTION
2009-S Silver Northern Marianas

Owner Comments:

The Northern Mariana Islands were a possession of Spain until 1898. The islands were subsequently sold to Germany, seized by Japan, and finally occupied by America during World War II. The Northern Marianas became a United States Territory in 1975.

The reverse design most prominently depicts a large Latte, which is a stone used as a foundation in native structures. The Latte is surrounded by native plant and animal life of the islands with a sailing vessel in the background. The inscriptions read "Northern Mariana Islands", "E Pluribus Unum", and the date. The reverse of the coin was designed by Richard Masters and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.