A black woman minted on American Money for the first time

On one side of the new $100 gold coin from the U.S. Mint is the image of an eagle in flight, ‘‘with eyes toward opportunity and a determination to attain it,’’ a news release on the coin states. On the other side, there is the depiction of Liberty. And this time, she is an African American woman.

Lady Liberty, as depicted in coinage throughout the years, is modeled after our society’s continued evolution,’’ Elisa Basnight, U.S. Mint chief of staff, said during an event Thursday. ‘‘As we as a nation continue to evolve, so does Liberty’s representation.’’

The 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin, which will be released in April, marks the first time that Liberty will be portrayed as a black woman, at least to the best of the U.S. Mint’s knowledge. 

In her remarks earlier this week — during a kickoff the Mint’s anniversary celebration - Basnight noted that ‘‘we like to say at the mint, that our coins are the metallic footprints of our nation’s history,’’ and symbolize what America values and honors. In a blog post, Rhett Jeppson, principal deputy director of the U.S. Mint, wrote that this gold coin reflected both the past and future.