On the morning of September 14, 1814, Francis Scot Key saw a 42-foot by 30-foot American flag flying over Fort McHenry through clearing smoke caused by a 25-hour British bombardment of Fort McHenry. He was so inspired by the sight that he wrote a verse he called “The Defense of Fort McHenry.” By 1916, these words, sung to the tune of the British melody “To Anacreon in Heaven,” had become so widely popular that they were renamed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and President Woodrow Wilson ordered they be played at military and naval ceremonies. On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a resolution passed by Congress that officially designated “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem of the United States.

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Coin Designs

$5 Gold Coin

The obverse (heads side) design of the 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Gold Five-Dollar Coin is emblematic of the theme "The Battles at Sea During the War of 1812." It depicts a naval battle scene from the War of 1812, with an American sailing ship in the foreground and a damaged and fleeing British ship in the background. Inscriptions are IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY and 1812 - 2012.

The reverse (tails side) design is emblematic of the theme "The Star-Spangled Banner" (the song). It depicts the first words of the Star-Spangled Banner anthem, O say can you see, in Francis Scott Key's handwriting against a backdrop of 15 stars and 15 stripes, representing the Star-Spangled Banner flag. Inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM and FIVE DOLLARS.

Silver Dollar

The obverse (heads side) design of the 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Silver Dollar is emblematic of the theme "The Battle of Baltimore at Fort McHenry." It depicts Lady Liberty waving the 15-star, 15-stripe Star-Spangled Banner flag with Fort McHenry in the background. Inscriptions are LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and 2012.

The reverse (tails side) design is emblematic of the theme "The Star-Spangled Banner" (the flag). It depicts a waving modern American flag. Inscriptions are ONE DOLLAR, E PLURIBUS UNUM and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Mintage Limits: Mintage Limits:

The 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin program is limited to 100,000 gold coins (across all product options) and 500,000 silver coins (across all product options).

Ordering Limits: Ordering Limits:

None.

Program Information: Program Information:

The Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin Act (Public Law 111-232), signed into law on August 16, 2010, requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold and silver coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the writing of our national anthem.

Surcharges collected from sales of these coins—$35 for each gold coin and $10 for each silver coin—are authorized to be paid to the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. The Commission will use these funds to support its bicentennial activities, educational outreach, and preservation and improvement of the sites and structures related to the War of 1812.

Purchasing Information: Purchasing Information:

Products containing gold are priced weekly based on the market price of gold. All of the regular prices can be found in the United States Mint Commemorative Coin Pricing Grid.

If paying by credit card, please be sure your credit card information remains current to avoid any delays in processing your order. If your credit card has expired by the time of shipment, your order will be cancelled. To update credit card information after an order has been placed, you must call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, any order placed prior to the official on-sale date and time of March 5, 2012, noon (ET) shall not be deemed accepted by the United States Mint and will not be honored.

Shipping Information:

Shipping Information: