United States Mint Director Ed Moy will introduce the 2009 Native American $1 Coin on Saturday, January 17, 2009, at 10:15 a.m. (ET), as part of the opening ceremonies of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) festival, "Out of Many: A Multicultural Festival of Music, Dance and Story."  The news media, reporters and the public are invited to the free event that also includes a coin exchange at the United States Mint's Real Change Exchange Truck, where the public can exchange their paper currency for shiny new 2009 Native American $1 Coins.  Children 18 years old and younger, who are present for the coin introduction, will receive a free Native American $1 Coin.

As authorized by Public Law 110-82, beginning this year, the United States Mint will mint and issue $1 coins featuring designs celebrating the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the history and development of the United States.  The coin's reverse (tails side) design will change each year.  The 2009 design, based on the theme of agriculture, features a Native American woman planting seeds in a field of corn, beans and squash and the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and $1.  The obverse (heads side) design will continue to feature the "Sacagawea" design first produced in 2000, and the inscriptions LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST.  Like the Presidential $1 Coins, the Native American $1 Coins maintain their distinctive edge and golden color and feature edge-lettering of the year, mint mark and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
 
NMAI's three-day festival-part of the inaugural events-runs from January 17 to January 19.  Festivities include music, dancing and storytelling from a variety of cultural traditions.  Live performances will take place in the NMAI's Potomac Atrium and other locations throughout the museum. 

To view and download digital renderings of the 2009 Native American $1 Coin, go to:
http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?action=Photo#2009NativeAmerican

WHAT:  United States Mint Director Introduces the 2009 Native American $1 Coin Coin Exchange at the Real Change Exchange Truck
   
WHO:  United States Mint Director Ed Moy National Museum of the American Indian Director Kevin Gover
  
WHEN: Coin Introduction: 10:15 a.m. (ET), Saturday, January 17
Coin Exchange: 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (ET) - or until supplies last - Saturday, January 17 
   
WHERE: Coin Introduction:  National Museum of the American Indian, Potomac Atrium, 4th Street and Independence Avenue, SW,  Washington, D.C.  20013
Coin Exchange: Real Change Exchange Truck parked on Maryland Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets, SW, adjacent to the East main entrance of the museum.