HSO Coin

	Front	Back
Original Coin	Current Coin

History

The coin was designed to acknowledge our special place among the services, and our unique character as a PHS category.  The original coin was designed in 1999 by LT Elizabeth Pierce, with support from CDR Doreen Melling, HS PAC Chair, and CAPT Vivian Chen, the HSO Chief Professional Officer at the time. The first minting was produced in 2000 for the COA Conference. The current coin was designed by the HS PAC in 2006.

Description

The current body of the coin is a highly polished gold color, whereas the first minting was finished in an antique brass patina.  The current coin has the Great Seal of the Public Health Service and features the fowled anchor and caduceus, while the original coin had the Great Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.

The reverse side of the coin is the HSO category seal, depicted by the rising yellow sun with rays which represents the eternal day of our professional PHS presence anywhere in the world, and our commitment to bringing light to the darkness of disease and pestilence.  Inside the rising is the date 1959 when the Health Services category was begun.  The coin rim is inset and colored red as historically used by the military medical services, with the raised letters “Health Service Category”, from the 8 to 4 o’clock position. The bottom part of the rim is solid brass and large enough for an inscription. Inside the rim is a rising yellow sun with rays over a blue shield wreathed at the bottom by a white scroll.  The blue shield signifies national service. Inside the center of the shield is a gold caduceus signifying our central role in national health, and flanked on the left by a yellow lamp of learning representing the commitment on behalf of the HSO clinical and research officers to further man’s knowledge and education in health. On the right is a blue lightning bolt crossing a white feathered quill representing the HSO participation in Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) and Office of Force Readiness and Deployment (OFRD), and our swiftness to act in protecting the public health.  The white quill represents the administrative disciplines in the category and our commitment to creating national policy. The white scroll at the bottom of the shield signifies the higher ethical standard of officers and our mission.  The scroll contains the words “Strength by Diversity”, truncated for coin use from the actual Category motto of “Strength through Diversity” as authorized by the HS PAC.

Purchase Coins

Please contact LCDR Lynda Bishop at 301-594-6331 or at: lbishop@hrsa.gov to purchase the HSO coin.