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Numismatics, the study of coins, currency and medals, rarely takes center stage at the Super Bowl. However, for a few moments before Sunday’s game, Ellen Feingold’s life’s work will be on display.
Feingold is the curator of the numismatic collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. The collection includes roughly 1.6 million objects, everything from cuneiform tablets to a laptop used by the FBI to seize billions of dollars in stolen cryptocurrency.
Included in the collection is a silver medal called the Libertas Americana, commissioned by Benjamin Franklin to celebrate American independence and honor France’s role in the Revolutionary War. A modern restrike of that medal, produced by the Paris Mint in 2015, will be used in the coin toss before the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks meet in Super Bowl 60.
The medal features the profile of Lady Liberty with long, flowing hair and is stamped with the date “4 Juil 1776.” The NFL chose the medal to tie in with America’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“It’s wonderful to see that image that has been so powerfully used on our coins for so many years right in the center of a major national moment,” Feingold said. “It’s a nice moment for numismatics and it’s a fascinating object in terms of thinking about how we commemorate our national anniversary.”
The “tails” side of the medal features an allegorical scene in which the goddess Minerva shields the infant Hercules from an attacking lion, symbolizing France’s role in protecting the infant nation of America from the British. Franklin conceived the medal while serving as minister to France and commissioned two French artists to create the design.
It’s unclear how many of the medals were minted, though Feingold said sources suggest approximately 300 were struck and distributed to the Founding Fathers, dignitaries in France and even some on the British side. Most of the medals were bronze, with a smaller number, perhaps fewer than 50, made of silver, Feingold said. Two gold medals given to King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette of France are believed to have been lost in the French Revolution.
The Smithsonian has six Libertas Americana medals in its collection, five bronze and one silver. Representatives from the NFL’s department of public policy and government affairs visited the museum in December to tour the collection and look for an object that could signify the nation’s 250th birthday.
The Smithsonian doesn’t loan objects from its collection, so using one of the original medals wasn’t an option. The Paris Mint, which struck the original medals in 1783, has produced a series of restrikes, and the NFL acquired one that was sent to a U.S. mint for engraving with the NFL shield.
The NFL owns the medal that will be used in Sunday’s coin toss and plans to donate it to the Smithsonian after the game. The medal will be transported by courier from Santa Clara, Calif., to the National Museum and put on display as part of the numismatic collection.
The coin that will be used in Sunday’s Super Bowl coin toss. (Courtesy of Highland Mint)
Museum director Anthea Hartig accompanied the medal around the Bay Area on Friday, first to a live taping of NBC’s “Today” show and then to a Super Bowl rehearsal at Levi’s Stadium. Hartig has been planning for the 2026 semiquincentennial — America’s 250th birthday — since she was hired as museum director in 2018. Having the museum featured in the Super Bowl exceeded her wildest expectations.
“This particular Super Bowl is going to be such an important one to hopefully bring us all together, both on the national and international stage,” Hartig said. “To get to participate in it is a true pinch-me type of moment for a historian.”
The Libertas Americana will play a small role in the lead-up to Sunday’s game, but for the tens of millions of people watching, Feingold hopes those few seconds will provide an opportunity to reflect on one of America’s founding ideals, personified in the figure on the front of the medal.
“My hope is that it surprises people and thus sparks some conversations around the idea of liberty — that it was our founding value, and that it remains a really important value that we all share and that we are all part of preserving,” Feingold said.
