Proposed designs for the U.S. Mint’s 2026 American Innovation dollar for Minnesota honor contributions to the development of mobile refrigeration.
Frederick McKinley Jones, who co-founded Minneapolis-based U.S. Thermo Control – later renamed Thermo King – patented the first refrigerated truck in 1939. His improved Model C, introduced in 1941, was mounted on the front side of a vehicle, revolutionizing the transportation of perishable goods.
“The Model C proved critical during and after World War II, enabling the transport of temperature-sensitive drugs, blood plasma, and food-related goods worldwide. After World War II, the commercially available Model C transformed the agricultural industry,” the U.S. Mint’s design narrative states.
“This technology enabled worldwide shipping of seasonal crops and international trade of perishable goods. This breakthrough paved the way for frozen foods, modern supermarkets, and container shipping – essential to our modern food supply chains and ways of living,” the narrative added.
The U.S. Mint’s American Innovation $1 Coin Program honors pioneering achievements from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories. Introduced in 2018, the series features four unique reverse designs each year, recognizing innovations or innovators that have shaped history.
Design Recommendations for Minnesota Innovation Dollar
Fourteen candidate designs for the Minnesota Innovation dollar were presented by the U.S. Mint to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) on Feb. 18 and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) on Feb. 20. Both panels expressed broad appreciation for several of the designs.
The Office of the Governor of Minnesota favored design series MN-07 through MN-08DA, with a preference for MN-07A or MN-08A. MN-03 and MN-03A were their secondary choice.
The CCAC selected design MN-03, which depicts a 1940s-era truck with an early front-mounted refrigeration unit. Icons along the truck’s side represent the diverse temperature-sensitive goods made widely transportable by this innovation.
The CFA recommended both MN-03 and MN-07A, noting that each effectively conveys the variety of products that benefited from mobile refrigeration.
“They commented that both designs convey the range of products that could be transported more effectively using mobile refrigeration. They complimented the simplicity and directness of #3, and they described #7A as a handsome composition that renders ‘Minnesota’ in a font that is reminiscent of past graphic representations of the state name,” the CFA’s recommendation letter stated.
Ultimately, the Secretary of the Treasury will make the final design selection after considering input from advisory panels and stakeholders.
Design Images and Design Descriptions
The U.S. Mint’s line art images and design descriptions for all the candidate designs follow.
MN-03 and MN-03A feature a 1940s-era truck with an early front-mounted refrigeration unit. The icons adorning the side of the truck identify the diverse temperature-sensitive goods whose widespread transportation was made possible by this innovation. The additional inscription is “MOBILE REFRIGERATION.”
MN-04 depicts a vintage truck’s steering wheel encircling a collection of medical and food products, along with a snowflake icon in the background. The snowflake symbolizes the cold temperatures essential for preservation, while the steering wheel invokes the cross-country transport of these vital products. The additional inscription “MOBILE REFRIGERATION” encircles the center crossbar of the steering wheel.
MN-05 and MN-05A illustrate a stylized 1940s-era commercial truck soaring over Earth’s horizon, emphasizing the global impact of mobile refrigeration. The mobile refrigeration unit is emphasized through a dramatic visual accent at the truck’s front mount. The additional inscription is “MOBILE REFRIGERATION.”
MN-06A recognizes that the revolutionary technology of mobile refrigeration began as an idea. This design honors the invention and the notion that many great ideas first come to life on the drafting table. The additional inscription is “MOBILE REFRIGERATION.”
MN-07 and MN-07A exhibit a 1940s-era delivery truck with a front-mounted mobile refrigeration unit. They honor Minnesota’s agricultural heritage, and the transportation of essential farm products made possible by mobile refrigeration through an agrarian landscape. The additional inscription is “MOBILE REFRIGERATION.”
MN-08, MN-08A, MN-08B, MN-08C, and MN-08D also depict a 1940s-era delivery truck with a front-mounted mobile refrigeration unit. These designs highlight the impact of mobile refrigeration on agriculture and medicine by incorporating sprout, cross, and heartbeat symbols. The additional inscription is “MOBILE REFRIGERATION.”
MN-09 celebrates the wide-ranging impact of mobile refrigeration, with medical supplies and produce arranged above the 1940s-era refrigerated truck that made their transport now possible. The additional inscription is “MOBILE REFRIGERATION.”