MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Tuesday morning, elected officials and other dignitaries gathered at the SEE Science Center to celebrate a new dollar coin honoring Christa McAuliffe and teachers everywhere, commemorating National Teacher Day.
Legislation approving the coins, signed into law in Oct. 2019, is the first currency in U.S. history to have the image of a teacher, with the U.S. Mint providing $10 to FIRST for every coin minted.
So far, 60,000 coins have been minted, with no more coins to be printed after Dec. 31, 2021.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) and Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH-02), spokespeople for U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Manchester School District Assistant Superintendent Amy Allen and Inventor Dean Kamen were on hand to praise the coins, the SEE Science Center and the importance of teachers.
Kamen, creator of the Segway, and founder of FIRST as well as the millyard-based DEKA Research and Development Corporation, thanked Pappas, Kuster and the Senators for their efforts to help get the legislation passed, which he said he had been worked on since 1990.
He also offered to give a coin to one teacher in every public school in Manchester and hoped that at least one teacher from each school in the state could also be honored with a coin as well. He added that the artwork for the coin was created by his father.
“It’s a win for FIRST, it’s a win for teachers and recognizing all that they do,” said Kamen in regard to the coins.
An event to commemorate National Teacher Appreciation Day on May 22, 2022 involving the coins is scheduled where teachers honored with the coins will be celebrated.
The first 100 teachers will be recognized for $50 each, with half of that cost subsided by Service Credit Union. Local businesses and organizations are also invited to purchase sponsored coins for the teachers for $100.
More information on the coin sponsorships can be found on the SEE Science Center website.
More information on the coins themselves can be found on the U.S. Mint website.
