By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes ….
In 2017, the United States Mint celebrated the 225th anniversary of its creation with the construction of the Philadelphia Mint as authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792. The highlight of the Mint’s celebrations was the 2017 American Liberty Proof Gold Coin.
Part of a new series of coins and medals that showcase a modern take on Lady Liberty, the $100 face value gold coin features Liberty portrayed as a confident and youthful African American woman. This is the first time that Liberty has been explicitly depicted as an African American; Hettie Anderson, an African American woman from South Carolina, served as the model for Liberty on the $20 Double Eagle gold coin designed by American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, but Liberty there is not expressly African American.
The first coin in the series was released in 2015, with it companion silver medal arriving in 2016. The 2017 version was released on April 6 of this year. A Proof finish silver medal from Philadelphia was released individually on June 14, and a four-medal set was issued on October 19. The set features a Proof medal from San Francisco bearing the “S” mintmark; a Reverse Proof medal from Philadelphia bearing a “P” mintmark; an Uncirculated medal from the Denver Mint, complete with “D” mintmark; and an Enhanced Uncirculated (laser frosted) medal from West Point (“W”).
How Much Is the 2017-W American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin Worth?
The United States Mint released the 2017-W American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin on April 6, 2017, at an issue price of $1,640 ($2,152 in 2025 inflation-adjusted dollars). At the time of the coin’s release, gold spot price was around $1,250 an ounce ($1,639). With gold hovering around $3,200 an ounce at the time of this writing, we can see that the the value of the 2017-W American Liberty High Relief Gold coin in Proof 70 DCAM is approximately $3,800, which is spot + a 20% premium. This premium is slightly smaller than the Mint’s initial surcharge, but the significant increase in the value of gold has made this coin a winner for those who purchased the coin at or near the April 2017 launch.
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2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin Proof Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens
Top Population: PCGS PR70DCAM (3,658, 5/2025), NGC PF70UCAM (4,905, 5/2025), and CAC PR70DCAM (181, 5/2025).
- NGC PF70UCAM: eBay, April 28, 2025 – $3,965. Buy It Now.
- NGC PF70UCAM: eBay, April 24, 2025 – $3,950. Mike Castle signature label. Buy It Now.
- PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, April 24, 2025 – $3,683.34. Buy It Now.
- NGC PF70UCAM: eBay, April 21, 2025 – $3,649. Buy It Now.
- PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, April 16, 2025 – $4,300. Thomas Cleveland signature label. Buy It Now.
- PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, April 18, 2025 – $3,915. First Day of Issue label.
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Design
Obverse:
The obverse design was created by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) artist Justin Kunz; his initials JK are next to Liberty’s right shoulder. Kunz’s Liberty faces left and features braided hair that has been tied back in a bun and crowned by a diadem of four large stars. Unusual at first glance, the diadem is based on a similar piece that adorns 19th-century sculptor Thomas Crawford’s Statue of Freedom (1857-62), which stands atop the dome of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
The design was adapted and engraved by Mint sculptor-engraver Phebe Hemphill. Her initials, an italicized PH, are found to Liberty’s left.
The year 1792–the first part of the coin’s dual date–is inscribed on the left side while the year 2017 is inscribed on the right. Otherwise, the inscriptions LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST are found at the top and the bottom of the obverse, respectively.
Reverse:
The reverse, which features an American bald eagle on the downstroke flying from left to right, was designed by AIP artist Chris Costello and engraved by Mint sculptor Michael Gaudioso. Costello’s initials CTC are at the bottom of the coin next to the West Point (W) mintmark, and Gauidoso’s initials MG are between the tips of the eagle’s left wing and the S in 100 DOLLARS.
Inscriptions on the American Liberty 225th Anniversary gold coin include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM, the face value of 100 DOLLARS, the W mintmark, and 1 OZ .9999 FINE GOLD.
Edge:
The edge of the 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin features the legend * 225th ANNIVERSARY repeated three times counterclockwise around the coin in raised lettering. The rim on both sides of the coin is relatively thick.
Controversy
Some collectors expressed their dislike of the design, which features a young African American woman on the obverse. Certain aesthetic choices (Liberty’s hair and hairstyle, or the outsized stars on her diadem, for example) received special criticism. Other collectors–by no means a large number–complained that the coin represents politically correct “pandering” to a specific ethnic group, and for that reason is not a good choice to portray the allegorical Lady Liberty, who is supposed to represent all Americans.
Counter to this are those who have embraced the coin because of its overall artistic excellence – as well as African Americans and others who have historically been under-represented on our nation’s money. No one expects a coin to solve the United States’ problems with race or the ongoing struggle to define what values we as Americans hold dear. Nevertheless, the 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary gold coin is part of a series of modern interpretations of Lady Liberty, a reflection of the country’s people and her contemporary values.
Designers
Designer Justin Kunz is a participant in the United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP), and has made several contributions to the Mint’s recent selection of commemorative and collector coins. He has also done design work for the game World of Warcraft.
Sculptor-engraver Phebe Hemphill joined the U.S. Mint in 2006, and since that time has become one of the nation’s most prolific coin designers (View Designer’s Profile).
Designer and U.S. Mint AIP artist Chris Costello is responsible for numerous contemporary sides from the Mint, including commemoratives, America the Beautiful Quarters and First Spouse gold coins. But his claim to pop-cultural fame is as the inventor of the Papyrus font.
Engraver Michael Gaudioso joined the Mint in 2009. He studied art at the New York Academy Graduate School of Figurative Art in New York City and sculpture at the Repin Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia (View Designer’s Profile).
2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin Proof Coin Specifications
| Country: | United States of America |
| Year of Issue: | 2017 |
| Denomination: | $100 (USD) |
| Mintmark: | W (West Point) |
| Mintage: | 100,000 |
| Alloy: | .9999 gold |
| Weight: | 31.108 g (1.000 troy oz) |
| Diameter: | 30.61 mm |
| Thickness: | 3.128 mm |
| Edge: | Raised Edge Lettering (* 225th ANNIVERSARY * repeated three times) |
| OBV Designer: | Justin Kunz | Phebe Hemphill |
| REV Designer: | Chris Costello | Michael Gaudioso |
| Quality: | Proof |
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This coin was to represent the 225 th anniversary of the United States mint..apparently someone forgot that..you would think that a rendition of the first mint building, the first directors of the mint or something of that nature representative of the mint would have been designed..my personal opinion is that racial politics got involved ,considering the times, and got slipped in to be authorized by congress..but make no mistake about it, that is a pretty coin but not representative of its original ideals….
You are partially right. The coin series was executed as originally planned. The idea behind it was married to the Mint’s celebration of its 225th Anniversary. The Mint also added a P mintmark to the cent, a gesture that really had nothing whatsoever to do with anything, but this was done to celebrate the Mint’s 225th Anniversary. It’s probably best to not take things too literally, lest we stop being able to enjoy art for art’s sake. The coin and silver medal are beautiful and you can’t say that about everything that comes out of the US Mint.
I have some US coin