Despite being battered by Hurricane Katrina for three days in August 2005, USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), the third amphibious transport docking ship of the U.S. Navy's twelve-ship San Antonio class, is scheduled to be commissioned in June of 2007.

A series of coins honoring USS Mesa Verde and her first crew were recently created in anticipation of the event. The coins were produced by Northwest Territorial Mint, the foremost manufacturer of custom challenge and commanders' coins for the U.S. Military.

USS Mesa Verde, the only Navy ship to bear that title, is named in honor of the sprawling 50,000-acre Mesa Verde National Park, which marks its 100 th Anniversary this year. In June, members of the ship's crew traveled to the park, located in southwest Colorado, to participate in the centennial celebration.

"Visiting Mesa Verde National Park was a great experience," said Lieutenant junior grade Mike Adkins, the sales officer aboard the ship who helped coordinate the design for the USS Mesa Verde commemorative coins. "It confirmed for me the connection between our ship and this historic place."

"When we were thinking of the design for the coins, we knew that it was critical to combine symbols important to USS Mesa Verde with symbols from the park and its heritage," Adkins said.

The design that appears on the majority of the coins produced includes the ship's crest on the obverse (heads side) complemented by a port-side profile of USS Mesa Verde on the reverse. Featured in the background is a detailed rendering of the "Cliff Palace," the largest example of cliff dwellings found in Mesa Verde National Park, as well as the arrow-shaped emblem of the National Park Service.

"We requested that coins be created in several different metals because we knew they would be used in different ways," said Adkins.

Northwest Territorial Mint specializes in minting coins in a variety of metals, from precious metals like gold and silver to standard metals, such as copper, brass, and nickel. This allows the use a single set of dies to create coins that have a different look and feel without necessarily changing the design elements.

"The captain has his own nickel-proof coin, which he hands out to dignitaries and special visitors," he said. And there is also a silver version of the coin with 24-karat gold plating and a brass version that are both offered for sale through the ship's store."

An alternative design was also created for the members of the Chiefs' Mess. The three-anchor insignia of the Navy's Chief Petty Officers replaces the ship's crest on this version of the coin.

These coins will be mounted on commemorative plaques to be presented to the members of the Chiefs' Mess in a special ceremony. To add to their significance, the plaques are being hand-carved from the wood of trees recovered from Mesa Verde National Park.

USS Mesa Verde will receive her commission in June 2007 in Panama City, Florida after completing scheduled acceptance trials set to begin in March. From there, Mesa Verde will head to her new homeport at Naval Station Norfolk.

"We're all excited about receiving our commission and getting underway," said Adkins. "We've had our share of setbacks and we're ready to move on," he said, referring to the destruction and attendant delays caused by Hurricane Katrina.

"Several of the buildings around the shipyard were completely destroyed in the storm, so everyone's focus automatically shifted toward recovery. But now we're back on schedule and looking ahead with anticipation to our new target date in June," Adkins said.

As her crew prepares for the voyage to Panama City and beyond, they look forward to contributing to the storied tradition of the U.S. Navy. When they finally get underway, they will be sure to carry with them the coins honoring their ship.