2009 Louis Braille Commemorative Coins
This year the United States Mint will offer 2009 Louis Braille Commemorative Coins. These coins will honor the inventor of the Braille System of reading and writing used by the blind and visually impaired. They are released in 2009 to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth.
The new coins were authorized under H.R. 2872 Louis Braille Bicentennial Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act. This legislation provides for the production of up to 400,000 Silver Dollar commemorative coins during 2009.
The coin was designed to be representative of the life and legacy of Louis Braille. The obverse of the coin bears his portrait and the inscriptions “Louis Braille”, “Liberty”, “In God We Trrust”, the dual date “1809″ and “2009″ and mint mark “P” to represent mintage at the Philadelphia Mint.
The reverse of the coin features a young boy reading a Braille Book. There is a bookcase filled with books behind him with the inscription “Independence”. Additional inscriptions include “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, and “One Dollar”. The letter “BRL” short for “Braille” are included in Braille characters. Notably this is the first time readable Braille characters have appeared on US coinage.
The Louis Braille Commemorative Coins went on sale March 26, 2009. You can purchase them directly from the United States Mint.