Celebrating the Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
In 2014, as the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act approached, Congress authorized a commemorative silver dollar to mark it. The United States Congress sought a coin emblematic of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its impact on the country.
Signed into law on July 2, 1964, by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 greatly expanded civil rights protections by outlawing racial segregation in public places and accommodations, prohibiting discrimination in federally funded programs, and encouraging desegregation in public schools. The Act authorized the federal government to file lawsuits against state or local governments that maintained segregated public facilities, such as restaurants, hotels, theatres, etc. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 also prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
A $10 surcharge on each coin funds the United Negro College Fund. The proceeds support scholarships and internships for minority students, as well as operating and technology-enhancement needs at its 37-member historically Black colleges and universities.
2014 Civil Rights Act Of 1964 Commemorative Silver Dollar Design Details
The obverse designer was Justin Kunz, and Phebe Hemphill engraved the silver dollar. The central vignette displays one man and two women holding hands and marching forward, facing to the right. The man is holding a sign that states “WE SHALL OVERCOME”. Above them, on the upper periphery, is the word “LIBERTY”. Beneath the figures on the lower periphery is the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and behind them is the date of striking “2014.”
The reverse was designed by Donna Weaver and engraved by Jim Licaretz. It depicts three large flames emanating from a torch. The three flames symbolize the freedoms secured by the Civil Rights Act of 1964: the freedom of education, the freedom to vote, and the freedom to control one’s own destiny. As said by Dr. Martin Luther King, widely recognized as the voice of peaceful protests for equal rights for all Americans, “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.”
In the left field, behind the flames, is inscribed “SIGNED INTO LAW JULY 2, 1964,” and in the right field, in front of the flames, is “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and the denomination, “ONE DOLLAR.” Around the outer ring of the periphery are “CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964” and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”
(A 2014-P Civil Rights Act of 1964 Commemorative Silver Dollar, Uncirculated, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
The uncirculated 2014 Civil Rights Act of 1964 Commemorative Silver Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, and a proof version was also struck at that same facility. The Congress of the United States had authorized a maximum mintage of 350,000 coins to be struck across both finishes.
(A 2014-P Civil Rights Act of 1964 Commemorative Silver Dollar, Proof, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
Over 23,000 uncirculated coins were sold, while over 60,000 proof coins were sold. Add this coin to your collection and explore other U.S. silver modern commemorative coins.
