The U.S. Mint hosted a ceremonial strike on Nov. 28 at the Philadelphia Mint for the Proof 2024-P Harriet Tubman bicentennial silver dollar.
Born in 1820, Tubman escaped slavery in the southern states before leading hundreds of other escaped slaves down the same path.
She was responsible for guiding enslaved African Americans to St. Catharines, Ont., as part of the Underground Railroad, “a secret network of routes and safe houses that helped people escape enslavement,” according to The Canadian Encyclopedia. A school – Harriet Tubman Public School – is named after Tubman in the southern Ontario city where she moved in 1851.
She was later quoted as saying, “I wouldn’t trust Uncle Sam with my people no longer, but I brought ’em clear off to Canada.”
The series of three coins celebrating the iconic Underground Railroad conductor will be available starting Jan. 4, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The commemorative coins will be available in three denominations, each representing a different era in Tubman’s life. A clad half-dollar coin represents Tubman’s service as a military leader during the Civil War, including the Combahee River Raid that freed more than 700 enslaved people. A $1 silver coin celebrates her role as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, guiding enslaved people to freedom. And, a $5 gold coin depicts Tubman as a humanitarian during the final five decades of her life.