Description

The 2024 Harriet Tubman Silver Dollar is set to be released by the U.S. Mint as a component of the Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coin Program, which commemorates the bicentennial of Harriet Tubman's birth. Within this program, the Mint will produce $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins. The designs of these coins reflect the three distinct periods of Tubman's life and her contributions.

Harriet Tubman (1822–1913) was a pioneering American abolitionist and social activist. After escaping slavery, Tubman embarked on 13 missions, rescuing around 70 enslaved individuals, including family and friends, through the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, she served as an armed scout and spy for the Union Army. Tubman was an advocate for women's suffrage in her later years. Born into slavery in Maryland, she endured childhood beatings and a traumatic head wound. Experiencing visions she attributed to God, Tubman became deeply religious. Escaping to Philadelphia in 1849, she returned to Maryland to rescue her family, eventually guiding numerous enslaved people to freedom, earning the nickname "Moses." Tubman played a crucial role in the abolitionist movement, met John Brown, and aided in planning the Harpers Ferry raid. Working for the Union Army, she led the Combahee Ferry raid, liberating over 700 enslaved individuals. Post-war, she retired to Auburn, New York, actively participating in women's suffrage until her admission to a home for elderly African Americans. Harriet Tubman remains an enduring icon of courage and freedom.

The designs for the $5 coins specifically portray her post-Civil War life, during which she played a pivotal role in caring for newly freed enslaved individuals on her farm in Auburn, New York. Additionally, Tubman actively participated in various organizations, delivering speeches advocating for women's suffrage and civil rights.