2022 National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coins

The US mint has released the 2022 National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coins to honor the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. This is an institution which commemorates U.S. service members who have been wounded or killed during enemy action. According to Public Law 116-247, the U.S. Mint has to produce $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins and half dollar clad coins. This year the U.S. mint also released the limited edition National Purple Heart Hall of Honor 2022 Colorized Silver Dollar.

History

The Purple Heart is a medal that is awarded to a member of the armed forces who has been wounded or killed during enemy action. It has been awarded to an estimated 1.8 million servicemen and servicewomen since World War I.

The idea or the inception of the Purple Heart goes all the way back to the American Revolution. General George Washington, in 1782 gave orders to establish the Badge of Military Merit to honor distinguished soldiers in the Continental Army. The award was to be a permanent one, but once the Revolution ended, it was not implemented until the 20th century. Though there were suggestions to establish the award over the years such as from General John J. “Blackjack” Pershing from 1918, it wasn’t until 1932 that the Purple Heart was created on the bicentennial of Washington’s birth.

On May 28, 1932, 136 World War I veterans were awarded the Purple Heart at Temple Hill, in New Windsor, New York. Temple Hill was chosen for this honor because it was the site of the New Windsor Cantonment, which was the last encampment of the Continental Army during the winter of 1782-1783.

The Purple Heart was originally awarded for merit. But with the creation of the Legion of Merit in 1942, awarding of the Purple Heart for merit was discontinued.

The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor was started in 2006 to share the incredible stories of courage and sacrifice of the Purple Heart recipients. It is situated at the site of the New Windsor Cantonment.

National Purple Heart Commemorative Coins Designs and Specifications

Purple Heart $5 Gold Coin

This coin was designed by Donna Weaver while the obverse was sculpted by Joseph Menna and the reverse was sculpted by John P. Mcgraw. The obverse (heads) design portrays the Purple Heart medal with the inscriptions “LIBERTY”, “IN GOD WE TRUST”, “THE PURPLE HEART”, “2022” and “A GRATEFUL NATION HONORS AND REMEMBERS”.

The reverse (tails) design has George Washington’s signature under the Badge of Military Merit and over a textured stripe. The reverse also has the inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “1782”, “BADGE OF MILITARY MERIT”, “E PLURIBUS UNUM” and “FIVE DOLLARS”. West Point - W is their mint and mintmark. The coin composition is 90% gold, 6% silver and the balance copper. The finish is uncirculated and proof. The coin is 0.850 inches in diameter and weighs 0.243 troy oz.

Purple Heart Silver Dollar Coin

This coin was designed by Heidi Wastweet with the obverse sculpted by Eric David Custer and the reverse sculpted by Craig Campbell. The obverse design has the Purple Heart medal and Five stars which represent the five branches of the military. The inscriptions include “COMBAT WOUNDED & KILLED IN ACTION”, “LIBERTY”, “1932”, “2022”, and “IN GOD WE TRUST”

The reverse design has a woman in a World War I helmet as she bandages a wounded soldier on a stretcher. This is to honor the 23,000 women nurses who served in the Army and Navy during the war. The inscriptions are “UNITED STATES of AMERICA”, “E PLURIBUS UNUM” and “ONE DOLLAR”. West Point - W is their mint and mintmark. The coin composition is 99.9% silver and the finish is uncirculated and proof. The diameter of the coin is 1.500 inches/38.10 mm and weighs 0.859 troy oz.

Purple Heart Colorized Silver Dollar Coin

This coin has the same specifications as the Silver Dollar mentioned above except in the obverse where a purple shade is available around the bust of George Washington. This is a limited edition coin.

Purple Heart Clad Half Dollar Coin

This coin was designed by Beth Zaiken with the obverse sculpted by Craig Campbell while the reverse sculpted by John P. Mcgraw. The obverse features the lower half of a figure in military fatigue, combat boots and using a pair of crutches. The left leg has been amputated from the thigh down and the negative space shows the missing leg in silhouette. The Purple Heart medal appears behind the figure, and the inscription “ALL GAVE SOME” sits below the composition. The background field has a subtle flag motif. Other inscriptions include “IN GOD WE TRUST”, “LIBERTY” and “2022”.

The reverse of the coin depicts a young boy holding the dress cap of an enlisted Marine. The silhouette of a Marine in dress blues stands behind the boy in negative space. This emphasizes the loss that affects the families of Purple Heart recipients. The inscription “SOME GAVE ALL” is featured in the negative space around the boy in the lower half. Here also the background field flag motif is repeated. The inscriptions include “E PLURIBUS UNUM”, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “HALF DOLLAR”. The mint and mintmark for proof coins are San Francisco - S and for the uncirculated coins is Denver - D.

The coin composition is 8.33% nickel and the balance copper. The finish is proof and uncirculated. The coin is 1.205 inches in diameter and weighs 11.340 grams.

Surcharges Support National Purple Heart Honor Mission

The coin prices include surcharges of $35 for each $5 gold coin, $10 for each silver dollar, and $5 for each clad half dollar. This is paid to the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, Inc by the Mint as per the Public Law. The National Purple Heart Honor Mission is a non-profit organization which helps the improvement of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor facilities and promotes a variety of programs to promote the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, pay tribute to Purple Heart recipients, and educate Americans about combat-wounded veterans.