1996 Smithsonian Institution 150th Anniversary Commemorative Five Dollar Gold
Base
About This Coin
The 1996 Smithsonian Institution 150th Anniversary Commemorative Five Dollar Gold is a United States commemorative dollar. The gold coin companion to the Smithsonian dollar, this $5 piece features the institution's benefactor James Smithson, a British mineralogist and chemist who never visited the United States but left his fortune to create the Smithsonian. The obverse features a left-facing portrait of James Smithson with the inscription 'For the Increase and Diffusion of Knowledge' and dates 1846-1996, while the reverse displays the Smithsonian's sunburst logo. Designed by Al Maletsky/T. James Ferrell. Struck in 90% gold, 10% copper, weighing 8.36 grams, 21.6 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. The Smithsonian $5 gold is one of the lower-mintage modern gold commemoratives, making it a relatively scarce issue sought by series collectors.
