Coin Challenge - Lamp

This coin challenge shows a lamp which could belong to a Genie, could represent learning, could light the way or could be mean something else on this coin.

What is the coin? Is the coin silver, gold or another metal? Did the coin circulate or is it a commemorative coin? What is the denomination - a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, dollar or another value from early coinage? Is the lamp in the obverse or reverse design of the coin?

The surrounding design elements on the coin have been removed to insure the coin challenge is a challenge. (Scroll down for hints.)

Some hints:

1. The US Mint produced the coin.
2. The coin is a modern commemorative (modern = from 1982 up).
3. The coin is legal tender.

Hints from the July 1 blog post:

1. The design is based on a rare 1905 medal
2. The coin commemorates students

Final hints from the July 7 blog post:

Since the July monthly coin show is this weekend and this is not one of the better known coins, let’s add three more hints to the list:

1. Augustus Saint-Gaudens designed the historical medal upon which this coin’s design was based
2. The Public Law allowed no more than 500,000 of the coins to be minted
3. Counting both the uncirculated and proof versions, less than 150,000 coins are included in the population reports 

Do you know which coin includes this lamp in its design?

Click on the Coin Challenge - Lamp Answer if you are ready to verify your choice for the coin!

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