What if you could hold a little piece of Apple’s spirit in your hand—literally? Next year, that will become a reality: the United States Mint is releasing a Steve Jobs $1 coin, making the late visionary one of the latest honorees in its American Innovation $1 Coin Program. So, how did California’s tech icon win this rare distinction, and what other design surprises does the Mint have in store? Read on to find out.
U.S. Mint reveals Steve Jobs commemorative coin
The U.S. Mint has officially unveiled the design for a new commemorative $1 coin celebrating the legacy of late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs. The design captures a young Jobs seated cross-legged against a backdrop of California’s rolling hills — a fitting nod to the birthplace of Apple and the state’s culture of innovation. True to his iconic image, Jobs is depicted in his signature black turtleneck, a detail that immediately evokes his minimalist yet revolutionary style. Etched into the coin are the words “Make something wonderful,” a 2007 quote that has since come to symbolize Jobs’ vision and enduring influence, as embraced by his estate.
The commemorative coin will be priced at $13.25 and available for purchase through the U.S. Mint’s official website, though collectors and fans will need to wait until 2026 for its release.
For context, the U.S. Mint, an agency under the Department of the Treasury, is responsible for producing America’s coinage used for trade and commerce. Beyond circulating coins, it also issues special editions and commemorative pieces that honor significant figures, historical milestones, and groundbreaking innovations.
The journey behind Steve Jobs’ dollar coin
The Steve Jobs coin is part of the U.S. Mint’s American Innovation $1 Coin Program, an ambitious, years-long initiative launched in 2018 to honor the nation’s most groundbreaking ideas and/or the visionaries behind them. The program spans all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories, each recognizing a local innovation or innovator that has shaped American progress.
So, how does the selection process work? Each state or territory’s governor (or chief executive) nominates one or more designs that best represent its contributions to innovation. These nominations are then reviewed by the U.S. Mint in collaboration with expert panels, including the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and the Commission of Fine Arts, before the Secretary of the Treasury gives final approval. This ensures that every coin in the series tells a story that’s both historically significant and artistically authentic.
When nominating Steve Jobs earlier this year, California Governor Gavin Newsom said the late Apple co-founder “encapsulates the unique brand of innovation that California runs on,” a statement that perfectly captures why Jobs’ legacy continues to resonate far beyond Silicon Valley.
Other 2026 honorees in the American Innovation $1 Coin Program
Jobs isn’t the only honoree featured in next year’s American Innovation $1 Coin lineup. The U.S. Mint has also unveiled designs for three additional coins, each celebrating a remarkable contribution to American progress.
Iowa honors Norman Borlaug, the pioneering agricultural scientist whose breakthroughs in crop development ignited the “Green Revolution” and helped combat global hunger. Wisconsin highlights the CRAY-1 supercomputer, a 1970s engineering marvel that revolutionized computing by powering advancements in weather forecasting, nuclear research, and codebreaking. Meanwhile, Minnesota pays tribute to its innovation in mobile refrigeration, a technology that transformed global logistics by enabling the safe transport of perishable food and life-saving medicines across vast distances.
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Source: The Verge