Three denominations honor therapy, assistance and public-safety dogs. Here is what the final artwork confirms—and what collectors still need to wait for.
The 2027 Working Dogs commemorative coin designs are now public. The U.S. Mint unveiled the designs on September 21, 2026, at the White House with representatives of America’s VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation. The program includes a $5 gold coin, a silver dollar and a clad half dollar, each presenting a different side of the relationship between working dogs and the people they serve.
The immediate news is the final design selection. The Mint’s announcement does not establish an ordering date or retail price. Those details still need to come from the Mint’s product schedule and listings.
The $5 gold coin: therapy and unconditional support
The gold obverse gives the dog the entire portrait field: a left-facing head, an open mouth and a collar. The words “UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT” follow the lower rim, while the date sits beside the neck. The close view emphasizes expression rather than equipment or a working environment.
On the reverse, a child wearing a cap rests their forehead against a dog’s head. Both hands frame the animal’s face, and the vest identifies its therapy role. “THERAPY DOGS” and the $5 denomination appear beneath the scene. Together, the two sides connect the individual animal with the comfort it can provide.
The silver dollar: guide dogs and service dogs
The silver obverse shows a guide dog walking beside a person holding a harness handle and a cane. Its outer inscription includes “LIVE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES.” Unlike the gold portrait, this composition makes the partnership visible through movement, equipment and the two figures sharing the field.
The reverse shows a seated service dog looking up at a person in a wheelchair. The person leans forward to touch the dog, whose vest reads “SERVICE DOG.” “PUPPY WITH A PURPOSE” arcs around the upper left, with “ONE DOLLAR” at the bottom. These are two distinct assistance settings within the same denomination.
The clad half dollar: military and police K-9s
The half-dollar obverse depicts a dog standing on rubble, wearing protective goggles and a vest with a U.S. flag. “DEFENDING AMERICA” follows the left side of the design. The dog looks back over its shoulder, creating a different silhouette from the two assistance-dog scenes on the silver dollar.
The reverse shows a police K-9 beside its handler with a bag in the foreground. The vest includes “DO NOT PET” and “K-9 UNIT,” and “POLICE K-9” appears along the upper right. The design presents the dog as an animal at work rather than a pet portrait.
Authorized limits are not final mintages
Public Law 118-109, approved November 25, 2024, sets the following ceilings and specifications. These are legal program limits, not reported sales or promises that every authorized coin will be struck.
| Coin | Maximum authorized | Weight | Diameter | Metal requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5 gold | 50,000 | 8.359 grams | 0.850 inch | 90% gold |
| $1 silver | 500,000 | 26.73 grams | 1.500 inches | At least 90% silver |
| Clad half dollar | 750,000 | 11.34 grams | 1.205 inches | Standard statutory half-dollar clad specifications |
The law provides for proof and uncirculated qualities and issuance during 2027. It also sets surcharges of $35, $10 and $5 respectively for America’s VetDogs, subject to the law’s cost-recovery and other conditions. These surcharge amounts are components of the selling price, not the price of each coin.
For tracking a release, keep the authorized maximum, any individual product limit and a household order limit in separate columns. They answer different questions. CoinHub’s guide to Mint mintage, product and household limits explains how to avoid treating them as interchangeable.
What collectors should check before ordering
Start with the Mint’s actual on-sale announcement when it appears. The September 21 release directs readers to the forthcoming 2027 Product Schedule for the sale date and to the official commemorative shop when ordering opens. A coin’s 2027 date does not mean it will be sold on January 1.
Next, compare the exact denomination, finish, packaging and listed specifications. In particular, the law’s minimum silver standard should not be converted into an unsupported claim about the final product’s fineness. Use the eventual product page for the coin offered for sale.
Finally, distinguish the collection you want from a prediction about resale demand. The designs offer a straightforward three-denomination theme, but no announced artwork can establish a future premium or sellout. Collectors exploring earlier issues can read our modern commemorative silver-dollar guide for historical examples; those older markets do not determine this program’s outcome.
Why the final artwork matters
Collectors may already have seen proposed Working Dogs designs in coverage of the federal design reviews earlier in 2026. Those proposals and recommendations document the selection process. The Mint’s September 21 unveiling and current image library are the references for the final designs shown here.
The six sides provide more to compare than three dog portraits. They move from an individual animal to an interaction with a person, from assistance in everyday movement to therapy and public safety. That variety makes the program worth examining as a connected set of designs even before prices and sales details arrive.
Reporting checked September 21, 2026 against the Mint announcement, official design library and authorizing law. The header’s documentary photograph shows MWD Lucky and Staff Sgt. Austin McAlpine at Joint Base Andrews on September 3, 2026; it does not depict the unveiling or a dog identified as a coin model. Photo: U.S. Air Force / Senior Airman Daniel Walderbach, DVIDS, public domain. The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.