Local
Ferguson picks Jimi Hendrix for Washington's 2029 innovation dollar coin
Gov. Bob Ferguson has chosen Seattle-born guitar legend Jimi Hendrix to represent Washington on the U.S. Mint's American Innovation $1 coin, set for release in 2029. Hendrix was selected from five finalists after a statewide advisory committee review.
OLYMPIA â Jimi Hendrix, the Seattle-born guitarist who transformed the sound of the electric guitar, will represent Washington on the state's entry in the U.S. Mint's American Innovation $1 Coin Program, Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Monday.
The coin is scheduled for release in 2029. The program, launched in 2019, honors innovation and innovators from each state, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories, issuing four new $1 coins annually through 2032.
"Washington is one of the most innovative states in the nation," Ferguson said in a statement. "The finalists were all strong examples of this. 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."
Ferguson designated state Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti as Washington's official liaison to the U.S. Mint. Pellicciotti assembled an Innovation Coin Advisory Committee of state leaders in history and innovation to review public submissions, develop additional ideas and formalize the state's submission. The committee unanimously approved five finalists for the governor to choose from.
The other finalists were Billy Frank Jr. and Treaty Rights Innovation; Indigenous Ecosystem Management and Reef-net Fishing Innovation; Bruce Lee and Martial Arts Innovation; and Medic One and Medic Two, and Paramedic Innovation.
Hendrix was born in Seattle in 1947 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the electric guitar. He attended Horace Mann Elementary School, Washington Junior High and Garfield High School, and his first musical gig was in Seattle. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 along with his band, the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Hendrix the greatest guitarist of all time, placing him above Chuck Berry, Jeff Beck, B.B. King and Carlos Santana. Santana is credited with saying: "Everyone was using tiny brushes and doing watercolors, while Jimi Hendrix was painting galactic scenes in Cinemascope."
The selection of Hendrix also carries local significance beyond music: the finalist list included Billy Frank Jr., the Nisqually leader whose fishing rights case helped affirm treaty rights, and Indigenous reef-net fishing practices, reflecting Washington's deep roots in environmental and tribal history.
The next phase of the coin process will include design development, consultation with the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and public review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. The final design will be selected by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.