The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) has released the design candidate images for the upcoming 2023 Native American Dollar. The dollar will feature Maria Tallchief, widely considered to the America’s first prima ballerina. Tallcheif, (Osage family name: Ki He Kah Stah Tsa) lived from January 24, 1925 to April 11, 2013 and traveled globally as the country’s first prima ballerina and the first Native American prima ballerina.
The design featuring Maria Tallchief on the 2023 Native American dollar is a shift in plans from the United States Mint. Originally, the Mint announced that it intended to honor Charles Alexander Eastman, a Santee Dakota physician, writer, lecturer and activist. What prompted the change is unclear. Interestingly, Tallchief will also be honored as part of the five quarters released as part of the American Women Quarter Program in 2023.
Here are the design candidates released by the CCAC for the 2023 dollar.
You can read more about the history of the Sacagawea and Native American Dollars in this Coin History article.
Final design selections for all of the 2023 Native American Dollar will be made later this year and will be announced by the CCAC via the United States Mint.
About the CCAC
In accordance with 31 U.S.C. 5135, the CCAC:
- Advises the Secretary of the Treasury on any theme or design proposals relating to circulating coinage, bullion coinage, Congressional Gold Medals, and national and other medals.
- Advises the Secretary of the Treasury with regards to the events, persons, or places to be commemorated by the issuance of commemorative coins in each of the five calendar years succeeding the year in which a commemorative coin designation is made.
- Makes recommendations with respect to the mintage level for any commemorative coin recommended.
The CCAC was established in 2003 by Congress under Public Law 108-15.