Last week, the President
officially proclaimed March to be Women’s
History Month. This time provides an opportunity for our Nation to
celebrate and honor the great achievements of women throughout history and recognize
those who have fought hard to achieve many of the freedoms women have today. It is also an opportunity
for the Nation to look forward to the role of women in the future.
On Thursday, I had the great
pleasure of visiting Capitol Hill to present the first commemorative coin that
has ever been dedicated to a girls-only organization. I joined the Girl
Scouts of the USA Chief Executive Officer Anna Maria Chávez and members of the
Honorary Congressional Girl Scout Troop (Troop Capitol Hill) to launch the 2013
Girl Scouts of the USA Centennial Silver Dollar. The coin honors the 100th
anniversary of the organization that was established by Juliette Gordon Low in
Savannah, Georgia, on March 12, 1912.
The United
States Mint will produce and issue up to 350,000 of these silver coins with
surcharges from each sale authorized to be paid to further Girl Scout programs
such as financial literacy, empowerment, business and self-reliance. The
minting of this coin honors 100 years of courage,
confidence, and character – the key elements of the Girl Scouts’ mission
statement, which appears as an inscription on the coin.
The 2013 Girl Scouts of the
USA Centennial Silver Dollar is authorized by Public
Law 111-86, the Girl Scouts of the USA Centennial Commemorative Coin
Act. The coin’s obverse (heads side)
depicts three girls who represent the different ages and the diversity of Girls
Scouts of the USA. Additional inscriptions on that side are 2013, Liberty, and In God We Trust. Also on that side is the
100th anniversary Trefoil symbol, which signifies the Girl Scouts’ centennial
anniversary. The coin’s reverse (tails
side) depicts the iconic Profiles of Girl Scouts of the USA with the
inscriptions United States Of America, E Pluribus Unum, $1 and Girl
Scouts.
For more information on the
Girl Scouts of the USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Program, please visit here.
For more information on Women’s History Month, please visit here.
Rosie Rios is the Treasurer of the United States.