Honoring Law Enforcement Appreciation Day with U.S. Commemorative Coins

January 9 marks National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, an annual holiday marked with tributes to America’s finest. It’s a day when countless Americans thank their local law enforcement officers and officials for their service to the community, and in some jurisdictions local law enforcement agencies host community outreach events so residents can get to know members of the force better. One way that numismatists can honor National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day is to acquire coins that pay homage to the law enforcement community.

The United States Mint has produced at least four different commemorative coins that honor law enforcement. The earliest of these is the 1997 National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Silver Dollar, which was issued to pay respects to the many who died in the line of duty. The obverse of this coin was designed by Alfred Maletsky and depicts two law enforcement officers lovingly touching the inscribed name of a fellow law enforcement officer listed on the memorial in Washington, D.C. The reverse features a solemn depiction of a law enforcement shield superimposed by a long-stemmed rose above the phrase “TO SERVE AND PROTECT.”

Decades later, the United States Mint revisited the theme of national law enforcement with a trio of commemorative coins (clad half dollar, silver dollar, and gold $5). The trinity of law enforcement coins commemorate both the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C., as well as its adjoining National Law Enforcement Museum. The designs of the coins are “emblematic of the National Law Enforcement Museum and the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers throughout the history of the United States.” Surcharges from the sale of the coins went to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc., for related educational and outreach programs and exhibits.

The 2021 National Law Enforcement Half Dollar is anchored on the obverse by a sheriff’s star with the inscriptions “SERVE AND PROTECT.” The reverse reveals a magnifying glass inspecting a fingerprint with the National Law Enforcement Museum logo and the legend “NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM.” The silver dollar shows a police officer kneeling next to a child with a book and basketball, reflective of law enforcement’s connections to the community; the reverse portrays a handshake between an officer and member of the community. The $5 gold coin pictures two officers in salute on the obverse, while the reverse shows a folded flag with three roses.

Any of these four coins represent fitting tributes to fallen law enforcement officers and the thousands of individuals who serve to protect communities big and small around the United States. These coins could be added as individual pieces to your collection or procured with a grander purpose of completing a commemorative coin collection on the PCGS Set Registry, where many avenues for collecting these and other commemoratives can be found.