Tuskegee Airmen honored on US Mint’s final America the Beautiful coin. Here’s why
The latest coin from the United States Mint celebrates the historic contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen, the nation’s first Black regime of military combat pilots.
The new quarter was released Monday and honors the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in Tuskegee, Alabama, according to the Mint.
It marks the final coin issued in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, a series of 56 quarter-dollar coins with tail-side designs depicting national parks and other national sites, according to the bureau of the federal Department of Treasury. The program launched in 2010, releasing commemorative coins in the order in which the featured site officially became a national historic site or park.
The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site was established in 1998, and served as the premier training facility for the nation’s Black military pilots in the 1940’s.
One side of the coin depicts a Tuskegee Airman pilot “suiting up to join the fight during World War II” against a backdrop featuring the Moton Field control tower and a pair of P-51 Mustangs passing overhead, according to a news release. The words “THEY FOUGHT TWO WARS” is inscribed across the top, referencing the “dual battles the Tuskegee Airmen fought — fascism abroad and racial discrimination at home.”
On the other side is a 1932 portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan with the inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST,” the Mint said.
The Tuskegee Airmen gained notoriety during World War II and were part of a test by the U.S. Air Force to see if African-Americans had the “mental and physical abilities” to fly military aircraft, according to the national historic site’s website. In addition to pilots, the group also included technicians, medical personnel, parachute riggers, meteorologists, cooks and others.
White officers, Indigenous Americans, Latinos and women were also included.
“It is fitting that such a significant historic site will complete this successful coin program,” Mint Director David J. Ryder said in a statement. “The Mint is proud to honor the men and women who overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II.”
The commemorative coin wasn’t set to be released until Feb. 1 but is headed to the Federal Reserve Banks early due to an “increased demand for circulating coins,” officials said.
United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Designer Chris Costello designed the new quarter, while the coin was sculpted by U.S. Mint Medallic Artist Phebe Hemphill.
This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Tuskegee Airmen honored on US Mint’s final America the Beautiful coin. Here’s why."