Springtime on Coins

Spring has sprung! As plants bloom with life on thawing grounds, many coin collectors seek ways to sprinkle spring into their collections. The ever-growing catalog of United States coinage offers collectors many avenues for spreading some springtime joy into their collections, thanks to a number of coins that pay homage to flora, gardens, and the individuals who tend to them.

1997 Botanic Garden Commemorative Dollar

The United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., is just one of many landmarks in the nation’s capital – and it may just be one of the prettiest, too! There’s a full range of nature’s most beautiful plants thriving in this amazing place, which features a massive conservatory teeming with every type of plant life imaginable. It’s a great place to visit in the spring, when so many flowers are in bloom and various events celebrate the glory of the season. The United States Botanic Garden is also featured on the 1997 Botanic Garden Commemorative Dollar.

2002 Mississippi Quarter

The 2002 state quarter commemorates the statehood of Mississippi, also known as the Magnolia State. The magnolia is one of the most iconic trees of the American South, and Mississippi lay in the heart of that region of the country. Magnolias bloom between February and June, depending on the cultivar and its location. In the case of the magnolia pictured on the reverse of the 2002 Mississippi 50 States Quarter, it’s in full and beautiful bloom – and it’s just screaming that springtime is nigh!

2009 Native American Three Sister Dollar

The Native American Dollar series kicked off in 2009 with a nod to a longtime agricultural method known as the Three Sisters. What does this mean? It’s an agricultural method dating back more than 1,000 years in which corn, beans, and squash are all planted together in the same patch, with each plant enriching the life of the others. The idea is that corn stalks offer a climbable place for the bean vines, which infuse the soil with nitrogen, while squash serves as a groundcover that chokes out weeds. And when it comes to corn, you should always plant it in the spring – after the last frost has passed, that is.

2019 American Innovation Dollar - Georgia Trustees’ Garden

Deep in the heart of Savannah, Georgia, resided the Trustees’ Garden, which was the first public experimental agricultural garden in America. It was established in the early 1700s and helped determine which crops were best suited for the South, among these being the peach trees that have become iconic in Georgia. Measuring 10 acres in size, the Trustees’ Garden was mowed over to become a residential development in 1755. But the site is memorialized with an historical plaque marking the location of the gardens, which are further commemorated on the 2019 American Innovation Dollar recognizing Georgia and the pioneering agricultural test bed it once hosted.