Owner Comments:
‘World War I American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
Public Law 113–212 113th Congress - To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of World War I. The design of the coins minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the centennial of America’s involvement in World War I.
• Congress finds that:
The year 2018 is the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice with Germany ending World
War I battlefield hostilities.
On the 6th of April 1917, the United States of America entered World War I by declaring war against
Germany.
Two million American soldiers served overseas during World War I.
More than four million men and women from the United States served in uniform during World War
I.
The events of 1914 through 1918 shaped the world and the lives of millions of people for decades.
Over 9 million soldiers worldwide lost their lives between 1914 and 1918.
The centennial of America’s involvement in World War I offers an opportunity for people in the
United States to commemorate the commitment of their predecessors.
Frank Buckles, the last American veteran from World War I died on February 27, 2011.
He was our last direct American link to the ‘‘war to end all wars’’.
While other great conflicts, including the Civil War, World War II, the Korean War, and the
Vietnam War, have all been memorialized on United States commemorative coins, there currently
exists no coin to honor the brave veterans of World War I.
The 112th Congress established the World War I Centennial Commission to plan, develop, and
execute programs, projects, and activities to commemorate the centennial of World War I.
• Coin Specifications.
$1 Silver Coins. The Secretary of the Treasury shall mint and issue not more than 350,000 $1 coins
in commemoration of the centennial of America’s involvement in World War I, each of which shall
contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
• Coins minted under this Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. Only 1 facility of the
United States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted.
Approved December 16, 2014. (The Secretary may issue coins under this Act only during the
calendar year beginning on January 1, 2018.)
Background
In 2018, the U.S. Mint released the World War I Centennial Silver Dollar Coin in commemoration of the centennial of America’s involvement in World War I. The design for both the obverse and reverse of the coin was selected based on the winning design from a juried competition.
More than four million American families sent their sons and daughters to serve in uniform during the Great War. 116,516 U.S. soldiers gave their lives in combat. Another 200,000 were wounded, a casualty rate far greater than in World War II.
The first American troops arrived in France in June 1918. Through voluntary registration and the newly-formed draft, the American forces grew to approximately 500,000 soldiers by the end of summer.
In total, approximately four million men and women of the United States served in uniform, two million of whom were deployed overseas. Their heroic efforts in battles like the Battle of Belleau Wood, the Second Battle of the Marne, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive helped turn the tide of the war, and ultimately led to the victory of the Allied Troops.
Characteristics
The obverse (heads) design, titled “Soldier's Charge,” depicts an almost stone-like soldier gripping a rifle. Barbed wire twines in the lower righthand side of the design.
The wire design element continues onto the reverse (tails) design, titled "Poppies in the Wire," which features abstract poppies mixed in with barbed wire.
Recipient Organization: United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars
A surcharge of $10 for each coin sold is authorized to be paid to the United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars to assist the World War I Centennial Commission in commemorating the centenary of World War I.