1994 US Veterans Silver Dollars, Uncirculated

Own a U.S. Mint Silver Dollar Honoring Prisoners of War

Minted in 1994, this uncirculated US Silver Dollar pays tribute to the thousands of soldiers who have been taken as prisoners of war.  The front pictures a chained eagle breaking free from its chains surrounded by a circle of barbed wire.  The back pictures the National Prisoner of War Museum in Andersonville, Georgia, which had previously been the largest Confederate POW camp.  The coin was designed by a former POW, Tom Nielson and sales of the coin helped to fund the National Prisoner of War Museum.

During the Civil War, some 45,000 soldiers were held prisoner at Andersonville.  The prison was overcrowded, at times holding more than four times its capacity and had an inadequate water supply, unsanitary conditions, and not enough food for al the prisoners.   Nearly 13,000 prisoners died there from these horrendous conditions.  The prison’s commander was later tried and executed for war crimes.

In 1998, the prison was turned into a museum in tribute to all American prisoners of war from all conflicts.  Its exhibits include art, photos, and videos to convey the conditions and hardships faced by prisoners of war during different wars.

Minted: 1994
Diameter: 1.5”
Composition: 90% silver
Number Minted: 54,893