Illinois will soon mint commemorative coins to mark the state’s 200th birthday.
Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs unveiled the final design Monday in Springfield.
Frerichs hosted a several months-long contest, challenging designers to capture Illinois’ history on a single coin face. Submissions poured in from far and wide, but they were eventually whittled down to five finalists, whose designs were then voted on by the public.
The winner was Hayden Schumer, a 21 year old graphic designer from Chatham in Sangamon County.
He says he’s grateful voters chose his design that features Abraham Lincoln, Route 66 and more.
“I was really excited and surprised. Throughout all the other great designs, I didn’t think mine would actually win.”
Frerichs says Schumer’s design hit all the right notes.
“I think he did a good job of capturing our history, showing a lot of different things that make our state great, things that make us strong, like our industry and transportation, without being overly cluttered.”
The Treasurer’s office is now taking online pre-orders for the coins, which currently cost 45 dollars each.
Frerichs says the first batch of coins will be delivered in August.
