They include musician Duke Ellington resting his elbow on a piano; astronomer Benjamin Banneker getting ready to peer through a telescope; and abolitionist and author Frederick Douglass sitting at a writing table. All three men lived in Washington.

The designs were debuted Friday at a meeting involving Mayor Adrian Fenty and the D.C. Council. The designs soon will be unveiled to the public, and the Mint will ask residents for comment before selecting a winner.

Months ago, city officials submitted three other designs featuring the slogan "Taxation Without Representation," in an attempt to highlight the city's lack of congressional voting rights. But the Mint rejected the designs, saying they were inappropriate.

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Information from: The Washington Post