Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
Frederick Douglass seated at his desk, a man who cried out for freedom through his writing.
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site is located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, and it preserves the house where Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist, orator, and writer, spent his later years.
On the reverse of the coin, he is seated at the desk where he writes, with his house visible behind him. His figure holding a pen symbolizes a life that sought to change the world through the power of writing and speech rather than weapons.
Born a slave and having found freedom, Douglass made known the injustice of slavery through his writing and speeches and argued for the equality of all people. His figure seated at the desk shows well his belief that learning and expression are themselves the path to freedom.
The house where he lived was designated a nationally protected site on September 5, 1962, and to this day it conveys his life and spirit.
This coin from the ‘America the Beautiful’ series quietly honors the courage of a man who sought to change an age with a single pen.