2014-P $1 Civil Rights Act of 1964, DCAM PR68DCAM 认证号38341294, PCGS号524354

Ron Guth

In 2014, the United States Mint at Philadelphia struck a silver dollar to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  The mintage was limited to 350,000 across all product options.  Debut sales, as reported in the January 8, 2014 issue of CoinNews.net were the weakest, by far, of all the commemorative silver issue from 2010 to 2104.  As of March 9, 2014, sales of the Uncirculated and Proof versions were only 61,876, as reported by SilverCoinsToday.com.  By December 14, 2014, CoinUpdate.com revealed that the combined sales reached 85,426 units, and it was reported that the Uncirculated version had been closed at 24,574 units (more or less).  Orders for the Proof version ceased on December 30, 2014 and the final sales figure has not been determined.  If these figures hold, the Civil Rights Act silver dollar will be one of the rarest of all the modern commemorative dollars.

The following information is from the U.S. Mint website at www.usmint.gov.  It explains the history of the 2014 Civil Rights Act Silver Dollar.

"Equality in education was one of the cornerstones of the civil rights movement. Fifty years ago, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 greatly expanded civil rights protections, outlawing racial segregation in public places and places of public accommodation; funding federal programs; and encouraging desegregation in public schools.

Approved on December 2, 2008, the “Civil Rights Act of 1964 Commemorative Coin Act” (Public Law 110-451) requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Surcharges in the amount of $10 for each coin sold are authorized to be paid to the United Negro College Fund to carry out its purposes, including providing scholarships and internships for minority students and operating funds and technology enhancement services for 37 member historically black colleges and universities.

The United Negro College Fund

Over its long and distinguished history, the United Negro College Fund has provided scholarships and operating funds to its member colleges that have enabled more than 400,000 young African-Americans to earn college degrees and become successful members of society. Those graduates include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as many other leaders in the fields of education, science, medicine, law, entertainment, literature, the military and politics who have made major contributions to the civil rights movement and the creation of a more equitable society.

Coin Designs

The obverse (heads side) design features three people holding hands at a civil rights march. The man holds a sign that reads “We Shall Overcome.” The design is symbolic of all marches that helped galvanize the civil rights movement. Inscriptions are 2014, LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST.

The reverse (tails) design features three flames intertwined to symbolize the freedom of education, freedom to vote and freedom to control one’s own destiny. The design was inspired by the following quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.: “They get the fire hose. They fail to realize that water can only put out physical fire. But water can never drown the fire of freedom.” Inscriptions are CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, SIGNED INTO LAW JULY 2, 1964, EPLURIBUS UNUM, ONE DOLLAR and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Both designs were selected by the Secretary of the Treasury on September 13, 2013, after consultation with the United Negro College Fund and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee."