By Richard Fahlander — Correspondent
If you’re deciding how to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Concord Fight, you might want to flip a coin — or maybe two.
Commemorative coin enthusiasts have two options to own a piece of history marking the start of the Revolutionary War: One coin has been commissioned by Concord250, the organizing engine for the April 19, 2025, celebration, and the other by the Concord Minute Man Company.
John Hickling, a member of the Concord250 Finance Committee and a Minute Man himself, designed the Concord250 coin with inspiration from the 1925 U.S. Currency half-dollar.
He hopes the coins will appeal to a wide audience: With tens if not hundreds of thousands of visitors expected next year, “[if] even a small percentage purchase coins, it will make a big difference in supporting both the 250th and the Concord Minute Men.”
Minute Man Captain Carl Sweeney, who recalls the Sudbury Minute Men marching by his childhood home, is especially keen to share the group’s coin with other historic reenactors and area Minute companies.
“It’s a great way for us to market ourselves to the general public and to raise funds so we can continue of offer our services to the town for free,” he said, adding that nearly half the first run of 500 coins had already been sold as of a few weeks ago.
While unique, the two commemorative coins share common elements — and a donation price of $20.
The Concord250 coin
The Concord250 coin is offered in two finishes — a polished nickel, “brilliant proof” with a mirror-like image — and an antique darker silver finish.
The obverse features a relief of the Minute Man statue, with the inscription, “Battle of the North Bridge April 19, 1775,” and the motto “Concord 250, Still Heard Round the World.”
The reverse features a relief of the Old North Bridge with the inscription, ”Semiquincentennial. Concord Massachusetts 1775-2025” and the Ralph Waldo Emerson line, “Here once the embattled farmers stood and fired… the shot heard round the world.”
In 1775, the pine tree was a symbol of strength and resiliency and also the flag emblem most commonly associated with the New England colonies.
The coin features the pine tree image on the edges of both sides.
Concord250 commemorative coins are available at the Concord Center and West Concord Middlesex Savings Bank branches and the Concord Visitors Center.
The Concord Minute Men Coin
One side of the bronzed coin features the logo of the Concord Minute Men, created by David Niles in 1967 and comprising four important aspects of colonial life.
The upper left panel represents English roots with the Union Jack. The lower right panel is New England’s Eastern White Pine tree, symbolizing its importance to early commerce and colonial resistance.
The remaining two panels contain a gold star on a red background that pays homage to the original two Minute Companies in Concord and their leaders Captain Charles Miles and Captain David Brown.
The reverse prominently features the Minute Man statue bordered by both the Union Jack and American Flag and phrasing from Emerson’s Concord Hymn for the 1837 dedication of the North Bridge obelisk: “…and fired the shot heard round the world.”
Minute Man coins are available at Revolutionary Concord in Concord Center, Joy Street Life + Home in West Concord, and the Orchard House. The coin is also available from any member of the Concord Minute Men or by contacting Carl.Sweeney8@gmail.com
Why choose?
“I’m getting both of the coins,” said Peter Robinson, a lifelong Concordian and member of the Independent Battery. “I like having something to hold on to.”
Fifty years ago, at the Bicentennial celebration, Robinson was a special duty officer directing traffic on Lowell Road — and missed the parade. He’s already purchased 10 Concord250 coins for family and friends and expects to buy 10 more, plus at least four Minute Man coins. A devoted numismatist, he also treasures his 150th commemorative half-dollar, issued as U.S. currency in 1925.
Since it’s unlikely a credit card or Venmo payment made in 2025 will retain much historical or sentimental value, a Concord commemorative coin — or two — may prove a more tangible and lasting way to remember a historic occasion.
