First U.S. Coin With Readable Braille Unveiled In Dallas

DALLAS (AP) – Some blind Americans and their supporters marched through Dallas today for the unveiling of the first U.S. coin with readable Braille characters.

Display of the design and prototype of the commemorative 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar opened the National Federation of the Blind convention.

The commemorative one-ounce coin will be available next spring.

The “heads” side depicts Louis Braille, inventor of the Braille reading and writing system, with the word “Liberty” above it.

On the flip side, the Braille code for the word Braille – or “Brl” – is inscribed.

It also shows a school-age boy reading a Braille book with a cane resting on his arm. Behind him is a bookshelf bearing the word “Independence.”

All coins distributed by the U.S. Mint are distinguishable to the blind by their size and weight.

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(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-07-02-08 1410EDT