BATTER UP! Get ready to pitch your coin design!

United States Mint To Open Baseball Coin design competition APRIL 11

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In two short weeks, the United States Mint will open a coin design competition that will culminate in the Secretary of the Treasury's selection of the image for the obverse (heads side) of the 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins. The design shall be emblematic of the game of baseball.

The Baseball Coin Design Competition will be open to all U.S. citizens and permanent residents, ages 14 and older. The winner of the design competition will be awarded $5,000, and the winner's initials will appear on the minted coins. 

A separate Kids' Baseball Coin Design Challenge for children ages 13 and under is also being held. Winners will receive a National Baseball Hall of Fame $1 Silver Commemorative Coin.  The winning children's designs will also be showcased on the Department of the Treasury, United States Mint, and National Baseball Hall of Fame web sites. 

The National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act (Act) (Public Law 112-152) calls for a three-coin program of $5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar clad coins, and requires a competition to select a common obverse design emblematic of the game of baseball.  This is the first time the United States Mint has held a public design competition since 1992.

In addition, the $5 gold and $1 silver coins will be the first "curved" coins minted and issued by the United States Mint, with the reverses (tail sides) being convex to more closely resemble a baseball and the obverses being concave to provide a more dramatic design. 

Thinking about entering this competition?   Here are some things to consider:

• The obverse design must be "emblematic of the game of baseball" and must include the inscriptions "Liberty," "In God We Trust," and "2014."
• Two-dimensional designs must be monochrome, not color, and three-dimensional models must be made using neutral plaster or a durable plastic material and should be approximately 8" in diameter.
• Designs must not include the name or depiction of a real player or any other person, living or not.
• Designs must not include  depictions, names, emblems, logos, trademarks or any other indicia associated with any specific commercial, private, educational, civic, religious, sports, or other organizations whose membership or ownership is not universal, including any current or former baseball team, either professional or amateur. 
• Designs must not include any depiction of a real baseball stadium, field, arena, either in whole or in part, whether or not currently existing or in use.
• Department of the Treasury employees, contractors and former contractors under the Mint's Artistic Infusion Program are ineligible, including United States Mint and other Treasury offices and bureaus.

For both the design competition and the kids challenge, the United States Mint will be working with the U.S. Government website, Challenge.gov.  For guidelines, rules and entry instructions, please visit www.usmint.gov, www.usmint.gov/kids/batterup and www.challenge.gov.

SOURCE United States Mint