NGC Registry Featured Set: US – American Innovations

By Alison Emery
NGC Registry Manager

With the US Mint’s release of the latest Innovation Dollar on April 8, the state of Michigan and the US Mint held a public release ceremony, the first ever for this series. These new coins are a tribute to the generations of auto workers in Michigan and are a great addition to the NGC Registry Innovation Dollar sets. Let’s look at the No. 1 ranked complete set by Mama’s Secret, found here.

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Each coin in this series tells a unique story about a person or invention that is significant for the featured state. Every issue is an interesting, mini-history lesson and, as such, has a loyal following. For the Rhode Island issues, for example, there is a striking depiction of Reliance, a yacht manufactured in 1903 in that state to defend the America’s Cup. Mama’s Secret boasts NGC “Top Pop” examples for the MS, Proof and Reverse Proof versions of these 2022 coins.

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In fact, the majority of the 101 coins in this set are NGC Top Pop. Another lovely piece is the 2024 Reverse Proof coin with Bernard Lown, M.D. Although born in Lithuania, Lown spent his youth in Maine and went on to become a key force in cardiology, including the invention of the defibrillator. Be sure to check out Mama’s Secret’s gallery for the full range of coins dating back to 2018.

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It is no surprise that this collector has claimed the “Best in Category” status for three consecutive years. The Proof issues in this series are more readily available in perfect 70s, but the MS coins are not. She has shown great determination in searching for elusive high-grade MS examples. This is a definite contributing factor to her No. 1 rank over 287 other participants.

Thank you, Mama’s Secret, for sharing your collection for all the NGC community to enjoy. We look forward to seeing your updates in this top-ranked NGC Registry set and in many others.

Have you marked your calendars yet? All of us at NGC are excited about the new awards venue at 2025 Summer ANA, and we hope you are, too! This transition period to a new awards schedule offers a unique opportunity that has never been available before! There is extra planning time this year; this translates into more time for upgrades to your sets. Furthermore, our administrative team produces countless new set types daily, offering new collecting opportunities for every collector, big and small. Feel free to reach out to us at Registry@NGCcoin.com with your requests and feedback. We appreciate each of you. Good luck to everyone!

The NGC Registry is a free online platform where collectors register and display their certified coins and can compete against other collectors around the world for recognition and prizes. The NGC Registry continues to be the world’s most comprehensive online coin collecting platform thanks to you, our treasured collectors. This popular resource now boasts more than 39,000 users, 383,000+ registered sets and over 1.98 million registered coins. 

In January 2024, we awarded more than $35,000 in prizes — the highest prize value awarded yet! Check out the 2023 NGC award winners here! Check out the exciting changes we have for the 2025 annual awards, including the new venue, here!

Would you like your set to be featured in a future article? 100% completion in a set is not always feasible. Perhaps we will choose someone whose set has a personal story behind it or some interesting historical facts. We are looking for those sets where someone has taken the time to make the set unique and a reflection of his/her personal collecting style. It may be your set! Stay tuned.

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