OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington will honor Seattle-born guitar legend Jimi Hendrix on its future entry in the U.S. Mint’s American Innovation $1 Coin Program, Gov. Bob Ferguson announced in Olympia.

The program, launched by the U.S. Mint in 2019, recognizes innovation and innovators from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories by issuing four new $1 coins each year through 2032.

“Washington is one of the most innovative states in the nation,” Ferguson said. “The finalists were all strong examples of this. The Innovation Coin program is a unique opportunity to honor our history and share Washington’s story. Picking just one example from the most innovative state in the nation was difficult, but Jimi Hendrix’s historic innovation on guitar and his deep roots in Washington make him a great choice to represent our state.”

Ferguson designated Washington Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti as the state’s official liaison to the U.S. Mint. Pellicciotti assembled an Innovation Coin Advisory Committee made up of state leaders in history and innovation to review public submissions, generate additional ideas, collaborate on concepts and formalize the state’s submission. The committee unanimously approved five finalists for Ferguson to choose from.

Hendrix was born in Seattle in 1947 and is credited with revolutionizing electric guitar. He attended Horace Mann Elementary School, Washington Junior High and Garfield High School, and his first musical gig was in Seattle. Hendrix was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 along with his band, the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

In 2023, Rolling Stone named Hendrix the greatest guitarist of all time, calling him “a true master of the instrument.” The magazine’s ranking placed him above guitarists including Chuck Berry, Jeff Beck, B.B. King and Carlos Santana.

“Everyone was using tiny brushes and doing watercolors, while Jimi Hendrix was painting galactic scenes in Cinemascope,” Santana is credited with saying.

The other finalists for Washington’s coin were Billy Frank Jr. and Treaty Rights Innovation; Indigenous Ecosystem Management and Reef-net Fishing Innovation; Bruce Lee and Martial Arts Innovation; and Medic One and Medic Two, and Paramedic Innovation.

The next phase of the coin process will include design development, consultation with the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and public review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. The final design selection will be made by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.