It was today at 12:00 Eastern Time (ET) that the United States Mint began selling 2024 Illinois dollars. This event marked the first release of the year from their American Innovation® $1 Coin Program.
The dollar honors John Lane's steel plow innovation. Lane, a Homer Township, Illinois blacksmith, used an old sawmill blade cleaned to prevent soil from adhering to make a plow.
Each of the 25-coin rolls for $34.50 or 100-coin bags for $117.50 include circulation-quality Illinois dollars made at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia or Denver.
The back of each new coin has a massive steel plow blade attached to a right-handed beam and bracing. Behind it is Big Bluestem prairie grass and dirt.
Around the picture are "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "STEEL PLOW," and "ILLINOIS." The design is by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program Artist Beth Zaiken. Medallist Renata Gordon sculpted it.
All coins in the series have a profile Statue of Liberty on the obverse. This design features a privy mark representing industry and innovation with a stylized gear that varies year. The coin reads "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "$1." Infusion Program Artist Justin Kunz designed and Medallic Artist Phebe Hemphill sculpted the obverse.
Included on the coin's edge are the phrases "2024," "E PLURIBUS UNUM," and a mint mark (either a "P" or a "D") that indicates the location where the currency was manufactured.
The first Innovation Dollars striking, portraying George Washington, the first U.S. President and patent signer, was released in 2018. Since then, four new coins celebrating different inventions or innovators have been released annually.
Each state, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories will contribute cash to the series to showcase their ideas. The program ends in 2032.
Product restrictions from the U.S. Mint are 8,400 per Philadelphia roll, 7,350 per Denver roll, 3,150 per Philadelphia bag, and 2,950 per Denver bag, with a 10-option household order limit.