Native American Dollar Launch Ceremony in New York City

The United States Mint will hold the official launch ceremony for the 2010 Native American Dollar on Monday, January 25, 2010 at 10:30 AM. The event will take place at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the George Gustav Heye Center, located in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, One Bowling Green, New York City.

The 2010 Native American Dollar reverse design is based on the theme “Government – The Great Tree of Peace” and depicts the Hiawatha Belt encircling five arrows. The Hiawatha Belt is a visual record of the Haudenosaunee, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy, with five symbols representing the five original nations. The reverse was designed by Artistic Infusion Master Designer Thomas Cleveland and engraved by U.S. Mint Sculptor-Engraver Charles Vickers.

The masters of ceremony for the launch ceremony will be the Director of the United States Mint, Edmund Moy, and the Director of the George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian, John Haworth.

The event is free and open to the public. A coin exchange will be held following the event where attendees can exchange currency for rolls of the new 2010 Native American Dollars.

The United States Mint previously began sales of the 2010 Native American Dollars to the public through their Direct Ship Program on January 4, 2010, and through their numismatic bags and rolls program on January 22, 2010.

The Native American Dollar series features a different reverse deisgn each year to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of Native Americans.