The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) has released a series of candidate images for the upcoming 2022 Negro Leagues Commemorative Coins. The bill authorizing the series of coins in December 2020 and calls for the minting of 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 Half Dollar clad commemorative coins. The designs “shall be emblematic of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and its mission to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion.” All surcharges from the sales of these coins will be paid to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to fun educational and outreach programs as well as exhibits.
The Negro Leagues of baseball was founded in 1920 in response to players of color not being allowed to play in the Major Leagues of Baseball. The league produced some of the greatest baseball players in history including Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, and of course Jackie Robinson. Robinson became the first player of color in 1947 to play in the Major Leagues. The Negro Leagues continued until 1960 which, by that point, MLB had nearly fully integrated. Earlier this month, the leagues were recognized as a Major League of baseball, meaning all of the stats and records of the Negro Leagues will now be part of Major League Baseball’s stats and records. Previously, they were separate.
It will be several months before the final designs are announced with production set to begin early next year. Once final designs are decided, CCAC will present them in a meeting later this year.