2010 Native American Dollar
The 2010 Native American Dollar is the second coin of the new series and features a design based on the theme "Government - The Great Tree of Peace." This design theme was recommended by the authorizing legislation as "Iroquois Confederacy."
The reverse design features the Hiawatha Belt. This is a visual record of the Haudenosaunnee, better known as the Iroquois Confederacy. The belt has a central figure representing the Great White Pine at center with two squares to each side. These represent the Onondaga, Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca Nations. The Hiawatha Belt encircles a group of five arrows to symbolize the strength in unity of the Iroquois Confederacy.
The reverse was designed by Thomas Cleveland and sculpted by Charles L. Vickers. It was selected by the US Treasury Secretary from four candidate designs presented by the United States Mint. The Citizens Coinage Advisory and Commission of Fine Arts, who reviewed the candidate designs, had both recommended the Hiawatha Belt design. The three designs not selected featured representations of the "Great Tree of Peace." This is a white pine tree topped by an eagle were a Native American leader named Peacemaker buried weapons. This was symbolic of the peace treaty formed between the five nations in the Iroquois Confederation.
The obverse of the coin features the depiction of Sacagawea and child designed by Glenna Goodacre. This design had been used for the prior Sacagawea Dollar series from 2000 to 2008.
The 2010 Native American Dollar was first made available by the United States Mint on January 4, 2010 through their Direct Ship Program. Quantities of 250 coins could be ordered at face value for the purpose of introducing the coins into circulation. The US Mint offered numismatic rolls of the coins starting on January 22, 2010. The coins were also made available through regular circulation channels.
A launch ceremony for the coins was held on January 25, 2010 at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center in New York City. The United States Mint Director was on hand for the event. Children 18 years of age and younger received a newly minted 2010 Native American Dollar for free. Others were given the opportunity to exchange currency for rolls of the new coins.
