Behind the Scenes of the America 250th Set!
The United States of America will celebrate her 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. In celebration of the Declaration of Independence, Littleton Coin Company has created a spectacular set that recounts the road of rebellion that led to freedom. As a copywriter, I worked closely on this project. I take a lot of pride in giving a glimpse of what creating this patriotic set for you was like!
The Project
This was the first large project I was assigned, I was new to the company and eager to see how large-scale projects like this operated. One thing I love most about working for Littleton Coin Company is the encouragement and ability to be creative! Our colorized Notes and Challenge Coins are a perfect example of that, being exclusively designed and colorized by LCC’s artists. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this process, but I knew creative input was always welcome and I was very excited to get started. LCC is a unique company in the sense that all of our departments work very closely with one another. Before going into any meetings, I understood that this was a multi-coin set that essentially walked through the timeline of events leading to the Declaration of Independence.
The Writing
I conducted research and took notes in between virtual meetings with the team. We discussed length of copy, level of detail and the project timeline. This set was not only my first big assignment, but it was the first time in my professional career that I was working in such a collaborative space. Everyone shared the excitement and you could tell, everyone was putting their all into what parts they were responsible for. I drafted a couple offers and as a team we refined the tone, style and length. Once I had a model for the copy we all agreed on, I started my writing process. Writing is just like anything else, it’s certainly not one size fits all – different things work for different people. I started each writing session by reading through what I had written previously. While each coin told an independent story, the collection as a whole was the road to freedom. I wanted there to be a consistency and flow to the entire informational booklet which is where all of my writing was going to be placed. When it was all said and done, I contributed 2,592 words to this project. I transcribed 25 historic events that led to the Declaration of Independence.
The Finished Product
The first three coins in the set remember the Boston Tea Party, the Intolerable Acts and Thomas Jefferson’s View of the Rights.
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was the first bold act of rebellion against the Motherland, Great Britain. On December 16, 1773, a group of Massachusetts colonists disguised themselves and boarded three ships docked in Boston harbor. They dumped 342 chests of tea – more than 90,000 lbs. – overboard, tinting the waters with their rebellion.
The Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts of March 1774, also known as the Coercive Acts, were King George III’s response to the defiance shown with the Boston Tea Party. These four bills were intended to establish more control over the colonies:
- Boston Port Bill – shut down the city’s sea port until restitution was paid for the tea used in the Boston Tea Party
- Massachusetts Government Act – replaced local appointed council members with British appointed officials
- Administration of Justice Act – protected British officials by letting them return to England or a different colony for trial of their offenses
- Quartering Act – let British troops forcefully occupy all homes in the colonies
The Intolerable Acts sowed the seeds of rebellion among the colonists and was a key factor leading to the Revolutionary War.
Thomas Jefferson’s View of the Rights
In May of 1774, Thomas Jefferson drafted the View of the Rights to King George III – a list of grievances and statements that the thirteen colonies deserved freedom to control itself as a sovereign nation of the British Empire. While the View of the Rights didn’t directly mention independence, it is widely considered the precursor to the Declaration of Independence.
Still to come!
Future issues recall the First Continental Congress, Paul Revere’s midnight ride, the Battle of Bunker Hill, the signing of the Declaration of Independence and more. This collection is a fantastic tribute to this beautiful nation – start yours today with the first three issues! This set is a piece of my career that I will cherish forever. The team work, the creativeness, my ability to take other people’s advice and mold my style to what the team was looking for. I have since had the opportunity to write about the America 250th set in a variety of different ways. Every time an assignment comes across my desk about this collection, I can’t help but feel giddy. I hope you enjoy this set as much as we do here at the Littleton Coin Company! You can check out the first couple of issues released here – and keep an eye out because all 25 coins will be released by 2026. What makes you proud to be an American? Let us know in the comments!
