5 Dollars George Washington Death Bicentennial

The coin was authorized to commemorate the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s death and was available for purchase from the U.S. Mint from May 1, 1999, through November 31, 1999.

Laura Gardin Fraser (1899-1966) became the first woman to have her design appear on a commemorative coin when she designed the reverse of the 1921 Alabama Centennial Half Dollar.

In 1931, Congress held a competition for a coin to honor the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth. Ms. Gardin Fraser submitted a design that, though popular, was not chosen. Her design, however, was revived for this coin 68 years later.

The original competition called for the obverse of the coin to feature a portrait of George Washington, based on the famed life-mask bust by French sculptor Jean Antoine Houdon. The reverse was to feature a design that was to be "national" in nature.

Ms. Gardin Fraser's design features a right-facing portrait of George Washington on the obverse, while the reverse shows an eagle with wings spread wide. Dr. Cornelius Vermeule, author of "Numismatic Art in America" called the design "one of the most spectacular ever to be prepared for a U.S. coin."

Laura Gardin Fraser was the wife of famed sculptor James Earle Fraser, who designed the Buffalo Nickel.

As a medalist, she worked on the Congressional medal honoring Charles Lindbergh and the Oregon Trail commemorative.