In 1997 the US Mint issued four Jackie Robinson Commemorative coins. One is a $5 dollar uncirculated gold coin and the other a $ proof gold coin. There were also a $1 uncirculated silver coin and 1$ silver proof coin. This was done to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s historical ground-breaking integration of baseball in 1945.
But before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball he, just like Rosa Parks, refused to give up his seat on the bus. While he was in the Army the driver of an Army vehicles thought he was sitting next to a white woman. (She wasn’t white but fair skinned) He was ordered to get up and move to another seat. He refused. Trumped up charges were made against him.
There are several publications that give exciting insight into his life. See a few below:
Who Was Jackie Robinson?
I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America
Jackie Robinson: Young Sports Trailblazer (Childhood of Famous Americans)
Baseball’s Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy
In the next post I will discuss the collectible 5 Dollar Uncirculated Gold coin of Jackie Robinson