9/11 Commemorative Medal Designs Narrowed, Awaiting U.S. Treasury Approval

The Commission of Fine Arts, or CFA, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee recently reviewed the 10 obverse design candidates and 16 reverse design candidates for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum’s commemorative medal, reports Mint News Blog. The final designs can be seen above. All of the candidates can be seen here.

The CFA and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, or CCAC, agreed on the obverse side with the CFA recommending to remove the circle around the flame and to eliminate the two columns in the background, which evoke the memory of the twin towers. The CFA reasoned that the columns should be removed because the medal commemorates all of the attack sites, not just New York City.

The reverse found the CFA and CCAC at odds. While the CFA recommended the version with a quote from Virgil's Aeneid, the CCAC endorsed an alternative candidate that features the words "Honor" and "Hope." Final design selections will be made by the Treasury Secretary.

Click here to sign up for the 9/11 Memorial to notify you when the official medal is available. Production is projected for late summer.

9/11 Memorial Staff