ISLAND FALLS, Maine — The town of Island Falls is looking to celebrate its sesquicentennial anniversary in a unique way — by holding a contest to design a commemorative coin.
The small mill town will turn 150 years old in 2022, and is preparing to mark the occasion by holding a design contest for one side of a special commemorative coin. Anyone who lives in the RSU 50 school district (Southern Aroostook School) is eligible to enter a unique coin design, with three winners selected out of three age categories, including one adult category.
Prizes for all categories include $100 for first place, $75 for second and $25 for first. Winners will have their coins professionally minted, and then auctioned and sold as part of the town’s 150th anniversary celebration. The announcement was made by the town office for Island Falls, and Town Manager Jutta Beyer.
Those wishing to apply can obtain application and submission materials from either the Island Falls and Dyer Brook town offices, or the Katahdin Public Library. It includes an entry form with a circle where the submitted coin design is to be placed.
In addition to individual applications, coin designs may be submitted by a team, such as from a family or from a classroom of students. A number will be assigned for each submission to ensure anonymity when being judged by a panel to decide the winner. Any artistic medium, including use of digital media, may be used in designing the coin.
This is not the first time that the town has marked an anniversary with commemorative coins. Fifty years ago, the town also made special coins to commemorate its 100th anniversary.
Submissions for the contest are due by March 31, and applications are to be dropped off at either the Island Falls Town Office, RSU 50 superintendent’s office, or the Katahdin Public Library. The school and town office have outside slots for submissions, as they are not currently open to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
