Washington Rocker will be celebrated on a special $1.00 coin

My first introduction to the music of Jimi Hendrix came not from Jimi or the radio, but from a friend of mine who was a guitar player and singer. We were on a church youth retreat, and he hauled out his guitar and started playing Purple Haze. I wasn't quite sure what I was hearing, but it was interesting. When I finally heard Purple Haze on the radio, it completely changed the way I thought about music at the time. 

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Now that musical brilliance will be honored in a different way. 

According to seattletimes.com,
‘Jimi Hendrix, widely regarded as the greatest electric guitarist of all time, will be Washington’s submission to the U.S. Mint American Innovation $1 Coin Program, Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office announced Monday. The program pays tribute to innovations and innovators from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five permanently inhabited U.S. territories by issuing four new $1 coins every year through 2032.’ 

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Bob Ferguson put together an advisory committee to review submissions from the public, and Jimi Hendrix was in the top five on that list. Other mentions on the list included Medic 1, Pandemic Innovation, Medic 2, Bruce Lee, and Billy Frank Junior. 

Governor Bob Ferguson said in a news release, "The Innovation Coin program is a unique opportunity to honor our history and share Washington’s story, picking just one example from the most innovative state in the nation was difficult, but Jimi Hendrix’s historic innovation on guitar and his deep roots in Washington make him a great choice to represent our state.” 

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Jimi Hendrix was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and has continued to be a touchstone for guitar excellence for generations of guitar players. 

When will we see the coin? 

The coin is expected to be issued in 2029 but there are still several steps to go before it can be minted. The next steps will be to develop a design for the coin, working with the US Commission of Fine Arts, then the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee will conduct a public review. 

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It's up to the US Treasury Secretary to make the final choice of designs.