**NEVADA QUARTER HONORS NATION'S WILD HORSES**

![](media/image1.png){width="1.2916666666666667in" height="1.25in"}The
first coin of 2006 in the United States Mint's popular 50 State
Quarters^®^ Program will be released to the public in a ceremony at the
State Capitol in Carson City on Tuesday, January 31, 2006.

Nevada, nicknamed the \"Silver State,\" was admitted into the Union on
October 31, 1864, becoming our Nation\'s 36th state. Nevada\'s quarter
depicts a trio of wild mustangs, the sun rising behind snow-capped
mountains, bordered by sagebrush and a banner that reads \"The Silver
State.\" The coin also bears the inscriptions \"Nevada\" and \"1864.\"

Nevada became a territory in 1861, several years after a Mormon
Battalion in the Mexican War discovered gold and silver in the area of
Virginia City. This discovery would later be referred to as one of the
greatest mineral discoveries, famously known as the Comstock Lode.

Free United States Mint lesson plans about the Nevada quarter may be
downloaded at www.usmint.gov. Prior to the launch, the United States
Mint hosted a Coin Collectors Forum in Reno, Nevada, featuring United
States Mint Acting Director Lebryk. The public was invited to tell the
United States Mint what they'd like to see on their coins.

2005 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SCORES RELEASED

For the seventh straight year, the United States Mint scored among the
highest performers in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)
for 2005, according to the National Quality Research Center (NRQC) at
the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

The United States Mint's 2005 customer satisfaction score of 88% was up
2.3% from 2004 on the ASCI's 100-point index and significantly exceeds
both the government sector (71.3%) and private sector (71.5%) averages.
A score of 80% or more is considered world class customer service.

"Our customers expect high product quality and great service. We strive
to exceed their expectations," said United States Mint Acting Director
David Lebryk.

The result was a banner year for the United States Mint with record
sales, unique numismatic products and innovative circulating coin
designs.

**AMERICAN EAGLE PROGRAM CELEBRATES 20 YEARS**

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="1.3020833333333333in" height="1.6875in"}
In 1985, Congress authorized the United States Mint to produce the first
gold bullion investment coins in our Nation's history. American Eagles
were introduced to give investors of gold or silver worldwide the
opportunity to buy bullion coins backed by the United States government,
and to offer investors a simple means of owning gold and silver.
American Eagles, struck in 22-karat gold and .999 fine silver, were
first sold to the public in 1986. Today, American Eagle Gold investment
quality coins still bear the timeless "Liberty" design originally
created by renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens for American gold
coins issued in 1907. This year also marks the 20^th^ Anniversary of the
Silver Eagle, which has featured the "Walking Liberty" design originally
crafted for the United States Mint by a protégé of Saint-Gaudens, Adolph
A. Weinman. Each year, the one-ounce proof Silver Eagles are among the
United States Mint's best selling numismatic products. A special 20-year
American Eagle collectible set will be released later in 2006.

**NICKEL RETURNS TO MONTICELLO FOR 2006**

![](media/image3.png) The obverse of the 2006 nickel, the fifth and
final coin in the Westward Journey Nickel Series^TM^, is based on a
portrait of Thomas Jefferson completed by Rembrandt Peale in 1800.

The United States Mint's Artistic Infusion Program Master Designer Jamie
Franki designed the obverse.

The cursive "Liberty" inscription, which debuted on the 2005 nickels, is
again presented in Jefferson's own handwriting.

![](media/image4.png)The obverse was engraved by United States Mint
Sculptor-Engraver Donna Weaver.

The reverse of the 2006 nickel features the classic, familiar rendition
of Monticello, President Thomas Jefferson's Virginia home, originally
executed by artist Felix Schlag and chosen to adorn the coin's reverse
in 1938.

However, the design will be crisper and more detailed than Americans
have seen it in recent years, having been carefully restored by the
United States Mint, using Schlag's original work.

**NEW LESSON PLANS FOR 2006**

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="1.875in"
height="1.4479166666666667in"}Created and reviewed by teachers, these
plans are designed to help inspire students to learn about the History
In their Pockets---along with social studies, math, science, language
arts, and art---all through the fascinating yet familiar world of
American coins. For each new quarter released, the United States Mint
has created a new set of plans for grades K--6. For each year of this
popular coin series, the United States Mint has also released lessons
for teachers in grades 7--12 as well as a resource guide for teachers of
all grades. These lesson plans, like the new coins themselves, are
designed to expand students' knowledge about the states that make up our
great Nation.

**SALES BEGIN FOR BENJAMIN FRANKLIN COINS**

![](media/image6.jpeg){width="1.1666666666666667in"
height="1.1666666666666667in"} Coinciding with the 300^th^ anniversary
of the birth of Benjamin Franklin, the United States Mint began
accepting orders on January 17, 2006, for the Benjamin Franklin
Commemorative Coin Program.

This program includes two silver dollars; the *Scientist* coin which
recreates on its obverse a rendition of Franklin and his legendary kite
experiment. This coin's reverse features a recreation of Franklin's
"Join, or Die" political cartoon, first published in the Pennsylvania
Gazette in 1754.

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="1.1666666666666667in"
height="1.1666666666666667in"}The second coin, *Founding Father*,
features a familiar image of Franklin in his later years and is based on
a bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon. The reverse of the second coin features a
replica of the 1776 Continental Currency dollar in honor of his
contributions to the early development of our Nation's coinage.

The Franklin coins will each be featured in a limited-edition
collectible set. The first of these sets, on sale now, is the Benjamin
Franklin Coin & Chronicles Set, which features an uncirculated
*Scientist* coin, a reproduction of *Poor Richard's Almanack*, four
stamps honoring Franklin and an intaglio print recognizing his
contribution to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.