Since he was 10 years old, Bradford Sellers thought, "Wouldn't it be great someday if I could make a commemorative coin happen?" The international affairs specialist, a contractor with Capstone Corporation working at the Multi-National Cooperation Center for U.S. Africa Command, had his childhood dream come true when the U.S. Mint issued three 2011 U.S. Army Commemorative Coins earlier this year. "Honestly," declared Sellers, "one of my dreams, since I was 10 years old, has been to create a commemorative coin program." He described how his grandmother had introduced him to coin collecting at the age of five. "[She] was a truly avid collector who collected coins her whole life. She was a single mother and never had much extra to invest in coins, and you can tell by what she collected that she mostly collected from the change in her purse," he reminisced. Over the years, Sellers envisioned various ideas for a coin but doors of opportunity didn't open until he happened on the position as director of Government Affairs for the Army Historical Foundation in 2008. Sellers alluded to the irony of his good fortune playing into his path to fulfilling a dream. "This job merged so many of my major interests in life -- military history, congress, coins," he said. At the time, he was seeking employment to follow up on his experiences as a military and defense staffer in the U.S. Senate. A friend happened to mention that the AHF was looking for a new director -- a position that piqued his interest. In addition, the job's first and immediate priority was to make a U.S. Army commemorative coin a reality in order to help fund the foundation's goal of building the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Sellers had only a few months to get the required support in the house and senate to pass the "United States Army Commemorative Coin Act of 2008" for President George W. Bush's signature. He was able to do this with the backing of U.S. Senators James M. Inhofe (R-OK) and Daniel Ken Inouye (D-HI), who were more than willing to sponsor the bill. "The Army is the only service branch that currently does not have a national museum honoring its members and veterans," said Senator Inhofe in a press release. "As co-chair of the Senate Army Caucus and a former soldier, I am proud to pay tribute to the United States Army, which has dutifully served our nation for over 230 years." Sellers described what it took to accomplish this task in such a short amount of time. "Getting this passed through congress required about 300 meetings on the Hill and literally thousands of emails to congressional staff. During the real push for passage, I was in the office often until 11 p.m. or later," he said. At first, Sellers fell short of his tasking when Congress recessed early due to the elections. However, he got a break. "That year, Congress returned for a 'lame-duck' session to consider the stimulus bill … while the stimulus was the main item on the agenda, Congress could still consider other business and we were very fortunate that the Army coin bill was one of the items that was passed," Sellers explained. "Without the support of some very hard working staff and a couple of key congressmen, this would never have happed," he remarked. He went on to say that although the job was more than a dream come true, the real focus of the story is what the coins represent. "These coins honor the Army, its soldiers and veterans, all of them, since 1775," said Sellers. "It honors the Army's history and its contributions to the United States and the American people, in war and peace, since the Revolution." Equally important, he wanted to reemphasize, is the surcharge on the sale of the coins going to help fund the construction of the museum. "These commemorative coins will do more than just honor the Army and our Army veterans," said Sen. Inouye -- a Medal of Honor recipient -- in his remarks before the Senate to introduce the bill. "They will also help ensure that the extraordinary accomplishment and sacrifice of our soldiers will live on as a legacy for future generations." Sellers agreed with Sen. Inouye, "I think the Army deserves to have a museum." With that in mind, Sellers drafted the legislation for multiple coins. "Many commemorative coin programs are based on a single coin, usually a silver dollar. But "I knew that up to three coins had been issued before, so when I wrote the bill, I wrote it for three coins -- thus multiplying potential revenues," Sellers noted. The coins, which are offered in uncirculated and proof sets are: $5 Gold Coin entitled "Service in War" -- representing the U.S. Army's war service from the Revolutionary War through present and symbolizing it's continuity of strength and readiness; $1 Silver Coin entitled "Modern Service" -- symbolizing worldwide deployment of the 21st century U.S. Army; and the Half-Dollar Clad Coin entitled "Service in Peace" designed to represent the significant contributions of the U.S. Army during peacetime. Since the coins went on sale January 31, Sellers hasn't had the opportunity to check the sales figures from the U.S. Mint, but hopes the Army coins have the same success as the U.S. Marine Corps Commemorative Coin. "U.S. Marine Corps had a commemorative coin in 2005, and the funds went to build their museum. They had record sales, sold out very quickly, and even convinced the Mint to increase sales levels -- an unprecedented step, before or since," he added. "The Marines were our model." Sellers wouldn't go as far as to suggest a challenge to members of the Army, but he is willing to suggest, "If you are a soldier, if you were a soldier, if you admire soldiers or if you love a soldier, I think this coin is for you." In addition to these coins fulfilling a 20-year commitment for the Army to build its own official national museum, it also fulfills the dream of the man who helped with that commitment. "This was really a life-time achievement. Someday, I will sit down with my grandchildren, show them the coins, and say 'I did this.' … I had help, a lot of help, but I led the charge and coordinated all the partners. So I have a great sense of pride that these coins now exist," Sellers said. "And now I have 'lived the dream." -------------------------- $5 Gold Coin -- "Service in War" Obverse: This design represents the U.S. Army's war service from the Revolutionary War through today, symbolizing its continuity of strength and readiness. The design features, from left to right, Continental, Civil War, modern, World War II and World War I soldiers. Inscriptions are LIBERTY, 2011 and IN GOD WE TRUST. Reverse: This design is based on the official U.S. Army emblem and represents the unbroken history of loyalty and commitment to defend the Nation. It includes the inscription This We'll Defend, the motto of the U.S. Army. Additional inscriptions are DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, E PLURIBUS UNUM, 1775, FIVE DOLLARS and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. $1 Silver Coin -- "Modern Service" Obverse: This design depicts the busts of a male and female soldier, symbolizing worldwide deployment of the 21st century U.S. Army. The inscriptions are LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and 2011. Reverse: This design symbolizes the seven core values of the U.S. Army. The design features an image of the Great Seal of the United States, worn on Army dress and service uniforms since the early 1800's. Inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, U.S. ARMY, ONE DOLLAR and the seven core values: LOYALTY, DUTY, RESPECT, SELFLESS SERVICE, HONOR, INTEGRITY and PERSONAL COURAGE. Half-Dollar Clad Coin -- "Service in Peace" Obverse: This design represents significant contributions of the U.S. Army during peacetime and features a U.S. Army soldier surveying, two servicemen building a flood wall and a Redstone Army rocket used during early space exploration. Inscriptions are U.S. ARMY, SERVICE IN PEACE, IN GOD WE TRUST, 2011 and LIBERTY. Reverse: This design symbolizes the U.S. Army as the first military service to defend the country and its key role in the Nation's internal development. It features an enlisted Continental soldier armed with a musket and 13 stars representing the original Colonies. Inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FIRST IN SERVICE TO THE NATION, E PLURIBUS UNUM and HALF DOLLAR. For more information on the 2011 U.S. Army Commemorative Coins and the Commemorative Coin Program visit: http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/commemoratives/?action=2011Army For information on the National Museum of the United States Army visit: http://www.armyhistory.org/