U.S. Marshals 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coins
Coin Description
Gold: Depicts an eagle holding a flag, protected by a shield inscribed "U.S. Marshal." Inscription includes "Justice, Integrity, Service," which is their motto and on the seal.
Silver: Features a U.S. Marshal who embodies the grit and determination needed to bring law and order to the American Western frontier.
Clad: Depicts a blindfolded Lady Justice holding balanced scales in her left hand as she extends a U.S. Marshals badge. The U.S. Constitution is shown to illustrate that the USMS gets its authority from this document. Other elements symbolize some of the other well-known tasks of the Marshals Service: an 18th century whiskey jug symbolizes the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion; old wooden railroad tracks represent the Pullman Strike of 1894; a stack of schoolbooks with an apple symbolizes the 1960 New Orleans school integration. A pair of open handcuffs represents the apprehension of federal fugitives.
Gold: Features an image of the United States Marshals Service Star with a western-style backdrop.
Silver: Features an image of the United States Marshals Service Star with silhouettes of Old West U.S. Marshals on horseback.
Clad: Features a present-day U.S. Marshal with an Old West U.S. Marshal in the background.
The Story
Created by the Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789, America’s oldest federal law enforcement agency saw President George Washington appoint the first 13 U.S. Marshals. The long, distinguished history of the U.S. Marshals Service has included a wide range of responsibilities, including:
- Conducted the federal census from 1790 to 1870.
- Kept law and order in the “Old West” by tracking the outlaws like Billy the Kid. Most famously, in Tombstone, Arizona, near the O.K. Corral, Marshal Virgil Earp and deputies, Wyatt and Morgan Earp, fought it out with outlaw cowboys.
- Helped root out spies during the Civil War.
- Kept trains rolling during the Pullman strike of 1894. Because of this conflict between unions, train builders and the federal government, President Grover Cleveland and Congress designated Labor Day as a federal holiday.
- Protected the home front against spies in World War I.
- Enforced Prohibition laws in the 1920s by arresting bootleggers and seizing their equipment – cars, trucks, breweries and warehouses.
- Assisted in the integration of the University of Mississippi in 1962 and enforced federal laws related to civil rights.
- Established the Witness Security Program in 1970 (commonly known as “witness protection program”).
- The Service arrests 302 fugitives every day on average.
- And much, much more. Read more about their history on the U.S. Marshals website.
The U.S. Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act was signed into law to honor the anniversary of the oldest federal law enforcement agency. Under that law, Congress directed the Mint to create three coins — $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins, each with unique obverse (front) and reverse (back) designs.