Obverse: The obverse depicts two Sioux chiefs wearing traditional feathered headdresses and paddling a canoe. A wooded riverbank appears in the background. The design includes the inscriptions “SIOUX”, “ONE DOLLAR”, “.999 SILVER”, “ONE OUNCE” and the year “2023”.
Reverse: The reverse features a traditional Native American war shield with two bison clashing at its centre. The composition also includes tipis, the traditional dwellings of the Indigenous peoples of the North American Great Plains. The eight tipis represent the eight districts of the Oglala Lakota reservation. The design is accompanied by the inscriptions “SOVEREIGN NATION”, “OGLALA LAKOTA”, “SIOUX” and “AMERICA”.
About the coin: The 2023 1 oz silver issue “Sioux Indian Chief Canoe” belongs to the “Sioux Buffalo” series, celebrating the history, culture and traditions of Indigenous peoples of North America.
The Sioux are a group of Indigenous North American peoples comprising the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota. Their history is closely associated with the Great Plains, where bison, the natural environment and community traditions played important roles in everyday life.
The design features symbols associated with Sioux culture, including chiefs paddling a canoe, bison and traditional tipis. It pays tribute to the rich cultural heritage of these peoples and their efforts to preserve their identity.
Produced by Native American Mint in the United States with authorisation from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, the issue is struck from .999 fine silver. It weighs 1 troy ounce (31.1 g) and measures 38.7 mm in diameter.
Although the piece bears a denomination of “ONE DOLLAR”, it is not an official circulating coin issued by the United States federal government. It is a collectible silver issue commemorating Sioux history and cultural heritage.
