The U.S. Mint has commemorated athlete Jim Thorpe’s contributions to American sports and culture on the reverse of its 2018 Native American $1 coin.
The coins, which feature circulating finishes, have never been placed into circulation. They were minted at the Denver and Philadelphia Mints.
This year’s reverse design depicts Thorpe while the foreground highlights his achievements in football and as an Olympian. Inscriptions are “JIM THORPE,” “WA-THO- HUK” (Thorpe’s native name), “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” and “$1.”
FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN GOLD MEDAL WINNER
A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Native American to win a gold medal for his country. He won Olympic gold medals in the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon and played U.S. football at the collegiate and professional levels; professional baseball; and basketball.
The coins have a circulating finish but have never been placed into circulation.
Despite his success, Thorpe lost his Olympic titles after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) discovered he was paid for playing two seasons of baseball before competing in the Olympics. This violated the IOC’s amateurism rules; however, in 1983, Thorpe’s medals were restored.
Thorpe was also the first president of the American Professional Football Association, which was a precursor to the National Football League.
COIN SPECIFICATIONS
| Denomination | $1 |
|---|---|
| Composition | Six per cent zinc 3.5 per cent manganese Two per cent nickel Balance copper |
| Weight | 8.1 grams |
| Diameter | 26.49 mm |
| Edge | Lettered |
| Mint and mint mark | Philadelphia – P Denver – D |