The US Mint just unveiled its design for a commemorative $1 coin honoring Steve Jobs, and yes, he's wearing the signature turtleneck. The coin features a young Jobs sitting cross-legged against California's rolling hills with his famous "Make something wonderful" inscription - cementing the Apple co-founder's place in America's official innovation hall of fame.
The US Mint just made Steve Jobs' iconography official currency. The agency revealed designs for a commemorative $1 coin honoring the late Apple co-founder, complete with his signature black turtleneck and California's golden hills backdrop. It's the kind of tribute that would've made Jobs cringe at the government bureaucracy involved, but secretly pleased with the design attention to detail.
The coin captures a young Jobs sitting cross-legged in meditation pose - very Silicon Valley zen meets entrepreneurial ambition. The US Mint's press release describes the California landscape of rolling hills, but it's really about that turtleneck. Even in official government metal, Jobs' uniform remains his calling card.
"Make something wonderful" curves around the coin's edge - the 2007 quote that became shorthand for the Jobs philosophy. His estate has used this phrase to frame his worldview and legacy in everything from books to memorials. Now it's literally legal tender, though collectors will pay $13.25 when it launches in 2026.
This isn't some random tribute coin - it's part of the American Innovation Dollar program that's been running since 2018. Each state gets to nominate their innovation icon, and California Governor Gavin Newsom picked Jobs back in February, saying he "encapsulates the unique brand of innovation that California runs on." The governor's statement positioned Jobs as California's tech ambassador to the world.
What's fascinating is seeing which other innovations made the cut for 2026. Wisconsin went with the Cray-1 supercomputer from the mid-1970s - a machine that helped birth modern computing but lacks Jobs' cultural crossover appeal. It highlights how Jobs transcended pure technology to become a design and business icon that resonates beyond tech circles.
The timing feels deliberate too. Current Apple CEO Tim Cook has been making , but this coin project predates any political maneuvering. The Mint started this innovation series in 2018, and Jobs' nomination came through California's state government process, not corporate lobbying.