On the Bicentennial date, April 24, a ceremony was held in the majestic Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building for the issuance of two commemorative coins by the U.S. Mint. They are "the coins of many firsts"--the first U.S. Mint commemorative coins of the century and millennium and honoring a library.

The stunning bimetallic coin, the first ever issued by the Mint, contains an inner core of platinum encircled by an outer ring of gold. The coin's obverse, designed by the Mint engraver/sculptor John Mercanti, features the hand of Minerva raising the torch of learning over the dome of the Jefferson Building. The coin's reverse, designed by Mint engraver/sculptor Thomas D. Rogers, Sr., contains the seal of the Library of Congress encircled by a laurel wreath.

The commemorative silver dollar's obverse, designed by Thomas D. Rogers, Sr., is an open book superimposed over the torch of learning, symbolizing the vast knowledge provided by the Library. The reverse, designed by John Mercanti, is an architectural rendering of the dome of the Jefferson Building.

To purchase the coins, visit the Mint's Web site or call 800-USA-MINT. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of coins is authorized to be used by the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board to help support the Library's programs.