 FRESH MINT: Lewis and Clark's boat (above) and an Indian "peace" sign appear on the new nickels. |
The new 5-cent coins will commemorate the bicentennial of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark expedition.
The current nickel's design was introduced in 1938, and features the image of Thomas Jefferson on the front and his home, Monticello, on the back.
"This is a historic moment for the nation, the first change in our nickel in 65 years," said Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore.
Jefferson's face, however, will remain on the front of the new nickels.
The back of the nickel to be released in the spring says "Louisiana Purchase" and bears an image of clasped hands, signifying friendship. Above the hands is a tomahawk crossed by a peace pipe.
The images are similar to those carried on Jefferson Peace Medals, which were presented ceremonially to Indian chiefs.
On the second nickel, going into circulation in the fall, the back features an angled view of the keelboat that the Lewis and Clark expedition used to travel the rivers of the Louisiana territory.
Jefferson was responsible for the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States.
He also was the force behind the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific.
In 2006, Monticello will return to the back of the nickel. Post Wire Services
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