Presidential dollar coins

Presidential dollar coin

United States
Value	1 U.S. dollar
Mass	8.100 g (0.26 troy oz)
Diameter	26.49 mm (1.043 in)
Thickness	2.00 mm (0.0787 in)
Edge	Engraved: text "E pluribus unum", the coin's mint mark, its year of issuance, and 13 five-pointed stars (prior to 2009: text "In God We Trust")
Composition	Copper with manganese brass cladding: 88.5% Cu 6% Zn 3.5% Mn 2% Ni
Years of minting	2007–2011 (Circulation) 2012–2016; 2020 (Collectors Only)
Catalog number	—
Obverse
Design	Portrait of US Presidents (first shown)
Designer	Various
Design date	2007–2016; 2020
Reverse
Design	Statue of Liberty
Designer	Don Everhart
Design date	2007

Presidential dollar coins (authorized by Pub. L. 109–145 (text) (PDF), 119 Stat. 2664, enacted December 22, 2005) are a series of United States dollar coins with engravings of relief portraits of U.S. presidents on the obverse and the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World) on the reverse.

From 2007 to 2011, Presidential dollar coins were minted for circulation in large numbers, resulting in a large stockpile of unused $1 coins. From 2012 to 2016, new coins in the series were minted only for collectors.^[1] A new coin was released on December 4, 2020, to honor George H. W. Bush, who died after the original program ended.^[2][3]

Legislative history

S. 1047, the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, was introduced on May 17, 2005, by Senator John E. Sununu with over 70 co-sponsors. It was reported favorably out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs without amendment on July 29, 2005. The Senate passed it with a technical amendment (S.Amdt. 2676), by unanimous consent on November 18, 2005. The House of Representatives passed it (291–113)^[4] on December 13, 2005 (a similar bill, H.R. 902, had previously passed in the House, but it was the Senate bill which was passed by both chambers). The enrolled bill was presented to president George W. Bush on December 15, 2005, and he signed it into law on December 22, 2005.^[5]

Program details

The program began on January 1, 2007, and, like the 50 State quarters program, was not scheduled to end until every eligible subject was honored. The program was to issue coins featuring each of four presidents per year on the obverse, issuing one for three months before moving on to the next president in chronological order by term in office. To be eligible, a president must have been deceased for at least two years prior to the time of minting.^[6] The United States Mint called it the Presidential $1 Coin Program.^[7]

The reverse of the coins bears the Statue of Liberty (formally Liberty Enlightening the World), the inscription "$1" and the inscription "United States of America" in all caps, in the font ITC Benguiat. Inscribed along the edge of the coin is the year of minting or issuance of the coin, the mint mark, 13 stars, and also the legend E Pluribus Unum in the following arrangement: ★★★★★★★★★★  (mint year)  (mint mark)  ★★★  E PLURIBUS UNUM; before 2009, In God We Trust was also part of the edge lettering. The legend "Liberty" is absent from the coin altogether, since the decision was made that the image of the Statue of Liberty on the reverse of the coin was sufficient to convey the message of liberty. The text of the act does not specify the color of the coins, but per the U.S. Mint "the specifications will be identical to those used for the current Golden dollar".^[8] The George Washington $1 coin was first available to the public on February 15, 2007, in honor of Washington's Birthday, which was observed on February 19.

This marked the first time since the St. Gaudens Double Eagle (1907–1933) that the United States had issued a coin with edge lettering for circulation. Edge-lettered coins date back to the 1790s. The process was started to discourage the shaving of gold coin edges, a practice which was used to cheat payees. In December 2007, Congress passed H.R. 2764, moving "In God We Trust" to either the obverse or reverse of the coins.^[9] This is the same bill that created a program that included quarters for Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

The act had been introduced because of the failure of the Sacagawea $1 coin to gain widespread circulation in the United States. The act sympathized with the need of the nation's private sector for a $1 coin, and expected that the appeal of changing the design would increase the public demand for new coins (as the public generally responded well to the State Quarter program). The program was also intended to help educate the public about the nation's presidents and their history. In case the coins did not catch on with the general public, then the Mint hoped that collectors would be as interested in the dollars as they were with the State Quarters,^[10] which generated about $6.3 billion in seigniorage (i.e., the difference between the face value of the coins and the cost to produce them) between January 1999 and December 2008.^[11]

Stack showing edge lettering

Unlike the State Quarter program and the Westward Journey nickel series, which suspended the issuance of the current design during those programs, the act directed the Mint to continue to issue Sacagawea dollar coins during the Presidential series. The law states that at least one in three issued dollars must be a Sacagawea dollar. Furthermore, the Sacagawea design was required to continue after the Presidential Coin program ended. These requirements were added at the behest of the North Dakota congressional delegation to ensure that Sacagawea, whom North Dakotans consider to be one of their own, ultimately remains on the dollar coin.

However, Federal Reserve officials indicated to Congress that "if the Presidential $1 Coin Program does not stimulate substantial transactional demand for dollar coins, the requirement that the Mint nonetheless produce Sacagawea dollars would result in costs to the taxpayer without any offsetting benefits." In that event, the Federal Reserve indicated that it would "strongly recommend that Congress reassess the one-third requirement."^[12] The one-third requirement was later changed to one-fifth by the Native American $1 Coin Act,^[13] passed on September 20, 2007.

Previous versions of the act called for removing from circulation dollar coins issued before the Sacagawea dollar, most notably the Susan B. Anthony dollar, but the version of the act which became law merely directs the Secretary of the Treasury to study the matter and report back to Congress. The act required federal government agencies (including the United States Postal Service), businesses operating on federal property, and federally funded transit systems to accept and dispense dollar coins by January 2008, and to post signs indicating that they do so.^[14]

Minting errors

On March 8, 2007, the United States Mint announced, that on February 15, 2007, an unknown number of George Washington Presidential $1 coins were released into circulation without their edge inscriptions (the U.S. mottos, "In God We Trust" and "E pluribus unum", the coin's mint mark, and its year of issuance; i.e. E PLURIBUS UNUM • IN GOD WE TRUST • 2007 X (where X is either P or D)). Ron Guth, of the Professional Coin Grading Service, estimated at least 50,000 coins were released without the edge inscriptions. The first such coin discovered was sold on eBay for $600, while later coins were selling for $40–60, as of late March 2007.^[15][16] Because one of the inscriptions missing from the coins is the motto "In God we trust", some articles on the subject have referred to them as "Godless dollars".^[17] Fake "Godless dollars" have been produced with the edge lettering filed off.^[18]

Also, John Adams Presidential dollars have been discovered with plain edges. They are fewer in quantity than George Washington plain-edge dollars, making them rarer, thus more expensive. A more frequently encountered edge lettering error for the John Adams dollar is a coin with doubled edge lettering. This error occurs when a coin passes through the edge lettering machine twice.^[19] Most examples of the doubled-edge-letter John Adams dollar are from the Philadelphia Mint (Denver Mint issues are comparatively scarce). They are seen in two varieties: 1) with both edge lettering inscriptions reading in the same direction, called "overlapped", and 2) with the two inscriptions running in opposite directions—i.e., inverted or upside-down relative to one another—called "inverted".

In early March 2007, a Colorado couple found a dollar coin which had not been struck with a die pair (missing the portrait of the president and the Statue of Liberty), but with edge lettering on the otherwise-blank planchet.^[20]

Some of the coins have the words on the rim struck upside down (president face up). These are not minting errors, but rather a variation created by the minting process. Such upside-down coins have been sold on auction websites like eBay and Amazon for greater than their face value, though they represent roughly 50% of the minted population.^[21]

Stockpile and suspension of production

A graph showing mintages of issues minted from 2007 to 2011

By 2011, 1.4 billion uncirculated $1 coins were stockpiled,^[22] which, if laid flat, could reach from Los Angeles to Chicago. By 2016, this number might have reached two billion if the minting had continued unchanged.^[23]

Rep. Jackie Speier of California circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter recommending that the U.S. not produce any dollar coins. She was planning to introduce legislation calling for the immediate halting of all dollar coin programs.^[24]

The United States Government Accountability Office has stated that discontinuing the dollar bill in favor of the dollar coin would save the U.S. government about $5.5 billion over 30 years.^[25]

On December 13, 2011, Vice President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced that the minting of Presidential $1 coins for circulation would be suspended.^[22] Future entries in the program, beginning with those of Chester A. Arthur, would be issued in reduced quantities, only for collectors.^[26]

By the end of 2022, the stockpile of $1 coins was reduced to 888 million. The inventory was estimated to last for nearly 16 more years (i.e. until 2038).^[27]

The program's end and continuation

The act specifies that for a former president to be honored, they must have been deceased for at least two years before issue.^[28][29] Hence, former presidents George H. W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and then-current president Barack Obama were ineligible to have a dollar coin issued in their honor when the series ended in 2016, after honoring Ronald Reagan, the last president who was eligible.

Since the program has terminated, producing coins for those presidents not yet honored would require another Act of Congress.^[30] On February 12, 2019, Senator John Cornyn introduced a bill to authorize a Presidential dollar honoring George H. W. Bush and an accompanying First Spouse gold coin for Barbara Bush,^[2] which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on January 28, 2020.^[31]

Jimmy Carter died on December 29, 2024.^[32]

Collecting

Despite not seeing widespread use in circulation,^[33] the series has seen a few lower-mintage issues, mostly in specially marketed sets. Reverse Proof issues were made for the coins depicting Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush between 2015 and 2020. These issues had mintages between 16,000 and 48,000, depending on the issue.^[34]

Coin details

Dollar coins were issued bearing the likenesses of presidents, as follows:^[35]

Release number	President number	President name	Release date	Denver Mintage	Philadelphia Mintage	Total Mintage[36]	Design	In office
1	1st	George Washington	February 15, 2007[37]	163,680,000	176,680,000	340,360,000		1789–1797
2	2nd	John Adams	May 17, 2007[37]	112,140,000	112,420,000	224,560,000		1797–1801
3	3rd	Thomas Jefferson	August 16, 2007[37]	102,810,000	100,800,000	203,610,000		1801–1809
4	4th	James Madison	November 15, 2007[37]	87,780,000	84,560,000	172,340,000		1809–1817
5	5th	James Monroe	February 14, 2008[37]	60,230,000	64,260,000	124,490,000		1817–1825
6	6th	John Quincy Adams	May 15, 2008[37]	57,720,000	57,540,000	115,260,000		1825–1829
7	7th	Andrew Jackson	August 14, 2008[37]	61,070,000	61,180,000	122,250,000		1829–1837
8	8th	Martin Van Buren	November 13, 2008[37]	50,960,000	51,520,000	102,480,000		1837–1841
9	9th	William Henry Harrison	February 19, 2009[37]	55,160,000	43,260,000	98,420,000		1841
10	10th	John Tyler	May 21, 2009[37]	43,540,000	43,540,000	87,080,000		1841–1845
11	11th	James K. Polk	August 20, 2009[37]	41,720,000	46,620,000	88,340,000		1845–1849
12	12th	Zachary Taylor	November 19, 2009[37]	36,680,000	41,580,000	78,260,000		1849–1850
13	13th	Millard Fillmore	February 18, 2010[37]	36,960,000	37,520,000	74,480,000		1850–1853
14	14th	Franklin Pierce	May 20, 2010[37]	38,360,000	38,220,000	76,580,000		1853–1857
15	15th	James Buchanan	August 19, 2010[37]	36,540,000	36,820,000	73,360,000		1857–1861
16	16th	Abraham Lincoln	November 18, 2010[37]	48,020,000	49,000,000	97,020,000		1861–1865
17	17th	Andrew Johnson	February 17, 2011[38]	37,100,000	35,560,000	72,660,000		1865–1869
18	18th	Ulysses S. Grant	May 19, 2011[38]	37,940,000	38,080,000	76,020,000		1869–1877
19	19th	Rutherford B. Hayes	August 18, 2011[38]	36,820,000	37,660,000	74,480,000		1877–1881
20	20th	James A. Garfield	November 17, 2011[38]	37,100,000	37,100,000	74,200,000		1881
21	21st	Chester A. Arthur	February 5, 2012[38]	4,060,000	6,020,000	10,080,000		1881–1885
22	22nd	Grover Cleveland	May 25, 2012[38]	4,060,000	5,460,000	9,520,000		1885–1889
23	23rd	Benjamin Harrison	August 16, 2012[38]	4,200,000	5,640,001	9,840,001		1889–1893
24	24th	Grover Cleveland	November 15, 2012[38]	3,920,000	10,680,001	14,600,001		1893–1897
25	25th	William McKinley	February 19, 2013[39]	3,365,100	4,760,000	8,125,100		1897–1901
26	26th	Theodore Roosevelt	April 11, 2013[40]	3,920,000	5,310,700	9,230,700		1901–1909
27	27th	William Howard Taft	July 9, 2013[41]	3,360,000	4,760,000	8,120,000		1909–1913
28	28th	Woodrow Wilson	October 17, 2013[42]	3,360,000	4,620,000	7,980,000		1913–1921
29	29th	Warren G. Harding	February 6, 2014[43]	3,780,000	6,160,000	9,940,000		1921–1923
30	30th	Calvin Coolidge	April 10, 2014[44]	3,780,000	4,480,000	8,260,000		1923–1929
31	31st	Herbert Hoover	June 19, 2014[45]	3,780,000	4,480,000	8,260,000		1929–1933
32	32nd	Franklin D. Roosevelt	August 28, 2014[46]	3,920,000	4,760,000	8,680,000		1933–1945
33	33rd	Harry S. Truman	February 5, 2015[47]	3,500,000	4,900,000	8,400,000		1945–1953
34	34th	Dwight D. Eisenhower	April 13, 2015[48]	3,645,998	4,900,000	8,545,998		1953–1961
35	35th	John F. Kennedy	June 18, 2015[49]	5,180,000	6,160,000	11,340,000		1961–1963
36	36th	Lyndon B. Johnson	August 18, 2015[50]	4,200,000	7,840,000	12,040,000		1963–1969
37	37th	Richard Nixon	February 3, 2016[51]	4,340,000	5,460,000	10,000,000		1969–1974
38	38th	Gerald Ford	March 8, 2016[52]	5,040,000	5,460,000	10,500,000		1974–1977
39	40th	Ronald Reagan	July 5, 2016[53]	5,880,000	7,140,000	13,020,000		1981–1989
40	41st	George H. W. Bush	December 4, 2020	1,502,425	1,242,275	2,744,700		1989–1993

First Spouse program

Director of United States Mint Edmund C. Moy and First Lady Laura Bush at the unveiling of Dolley Madison's First Spouse coin on November 19, 2007

The United States has honored the spouses of each of the presidents honored by the Presidential $1 Coin Act by issuing half-ounce $10 gold coins featuring their images, in the order they served as first spouse, beginning in 2007. To date, all first spouses have been women (often called first ladies).

The obverse of these coins feature portraits of the nation's first spouses, their names, the dates and order of their terms as first spouse, as well as the year of minting or issuance, and the words "In God We Trust" and "Liberty". The United States Mint issued the first spouse gold coins on the same schedule as the Presidential $1 coins issued honoring the presidents. Each coin has a unique reverse design featuring an image emblematic of that spouse's life and work, as well as the words "The United States of America", "E Pluribus Unum", "$10", "1/2 oz.", and ".9999 Fine Gold".

When a president served unmarried, as four presidents did, a gold coin was issued bearing an obverse image emblematic of Liberty as depicted on a circulating coin of that era, and bearing a reverse image emblematic of themes of that president. One exception is the coin depicting suffragist Alice Paul which represents the era of the Chester A. Arthur presidency, as Arthur was a widower.

The act, as written, explicitly states that the First Spouse coins are to be released at the same time as their respective $1 Presidential coins.^[54] Because the act links a first spouse's eligibility for a coin to that of the presidential spouse, it means that a living first spouse could have appeared on a coin; actually this did not happen, though Nancy Reagan died only a few months before the release of her coin.

The United States Mint launched these coins officially at 12 pm EDT on June 19, 2007. They provided two versions of the coin: a proof version for $429.95 and an uncirculated version for $410.95.

The United States Mint also produces and makes available to the public bronze medal duplicates of the First Spouse gold coins which are not legal tender.^[55] In February 2009 Coin World reported that some 2007 Abigail Adams medals were struck using the reverse from the 2008 Louisa Adams medal.^[56] These pieces, called mules, were contained within the 2007 First Spouse medal set.^[56]

Although the First Spouse program ended in 2016, it was continued in 2020 to honor Barbara Bush.^[2]

A full listing of the coins is:

Release #	Spouse #	Name	Reverse design	Release date	Proof Issue Price	Mintage figures[57]	Front/obverse Design	Reverse Design	Dates served
1	1	Martha Washington	Mrs. Washington sewing, with slogan "First Lady of the Continental Army"	June 19, 2007[58]	$429.95	19,167			1789–1797
2	2	Abigail Adams	Mrs. Adams writing her famous "Remember the Ladies" letter	June 19, 2007[58]	$429.95	17,149			1797–1801
3	3	Thomas Jefferson's Liberty	Jefferson's grave at Monticello	August 30, 2007[59]	$429.95	19,815			1801–1809
4	4	Dolley Madison	Mrs. Madison posing before the Lansdowne portrait of Washington, which she saved during the Burning of Washington	November 19, 2007[60]	$529.95	17,943			1809–1817
5	5	Elizabeth Monroe	Mrs. Monroe at the reopening of the White House in 1818	February 28, 2008[61]	$619.95*	7,800			1817–1825
6	6	Louisa Adams	Mrs. Adams and her son Charles making the dangerous journey from St Petersburg to Paris in 1812	May 29, 2008[62]	$619.95*	6,581			1825–1829
7	7	Andrew Jackson's Liberty	Jackson on horseback with his nickname "Old Hickory"	August 28, 2008[63]	$619.95*	7,684			1829–1837
8	8	Martin Van Buren's Liberty	Van Buren reading in the grass in his home village of Kinderhook	November 25, 2008[64]	$549.95	6,807			1837–1841
9	9	Anna Harrison	Mrs. Harrison reading to her children	March 5, 2009[65]	$629.00	6,251			1841
10	10	Letitia Tyler	Mrs. Tyler with children on Cedar Grove Plantation	July 2, 2009[66]	N/A	5,296			1841–1842
10A	10A	Julia Tyler	Mr. and Mrs. Tyler dancing	August 6, 2009[67]	N/A	4,844			1844–1845
11	11	Sarah Polk	Mr. and Mrs. Polk working together at a desk in the White House	September 3, 2009[68]	N/A	5,151			1845–1849
12	12	Margaret Taylor	A young Mrs. Taylor tending to a wounded soldier during the First Seminole War.	December 3, 2009[69]	N/A	4,936			1849–1850
13	13	Abigail Fillmore	Mrs. Fillmore shelving books in the White House Library, which she established.	March 18, 2010[70]	N/A	6,130			1850–1853
14	14	Jane Pierce	Mrs. Pierce in the visitors' gallery of the Old Senate Chamber, listening to a debate.	June 3, 2010[71]	N/A	4,775			1853–1857
15	15	James Buchanan's Liberty	Buchanan working as a bookkeeper in the family store	September 2, 2010[72]	N/A	7,110			1857–1861
16	16	Mary Todd Lincoln	Mrs. Lincoln giving flowers and a book to Union soldiers during the Civil War	December 2, 2010[73]	N/A	6,861			1861–1865
17	17	Eliza Johnson	Three children dancing and a Marine Band violinist at the children's ball that was held for President Johnson's 60th birthday.	May 5, 2011[74]	N/A	3,887			1865–1869
18	18	Julia Grant	Grant and a young Julia Dent horseriding at White Haven, her family home.	June 23, 2011[75]	N/A	3,943			1869–1877
19	19	Lucy Hayes	Mrs. Hayes hosting the first Easter Egg Roll at the White House, 1877	September 1, 2011[76]	N/A	3,868			1877–1881
20	20	Lucretia Garfield	Mrs. Garfield painting on a canvas with brush and palette.	December 1, 2011[77]	N/A	3,653			1881
21	21	Alice Paul[78]	Alice Paul marching for women's suffrage	October 12, 2012[79]	N/A	3,505			N/A †
22	22	Frances Cleveland	Mrs. Cleveland hosting a working women's reception.	November 15, 2012[80]	N/A	3,158			1886–1889
23	23	Caroline Harrison	orchid and paint brushes	December 6, 2012[81]	N/A	3,046			1889–1892
24	24	Frances Cleveland	Mrs. Cleveland delivering a speech	December 20, 2012[82]	N/A	3,104			1893–1897
25	25	Ida McKinley	Mrs. McKinley's hands crocheting slippers; she made thousands which were sold for charity.	November 14, 2013[83]	N/A	1,769			1897–1901
26	26	Edith Roosevelt	Image of the White House with compass and "The White House Restored 1902"	November 21, 2013[84]	N/A	2,851			1901–1909
27	27	Helen Taft	Cherry blossom of Prunus serrulata, brought to Washington, DC by Mrs. Taft	December 2, 2013[85]	$770.00	2,579			1909–1913
28	28	Ellen Wilson	Commemoration of Mrs. Wilson's creation of the White House Rose Garden	December 9, 2013[86]	$770.00	2,551			1913–1914
28A	28A	Edith Wilson	Image commemorating Mrs. Wilson's support for her husband after his stroke; the President holds onto a cane with Edith's hand resting warmly on top	December 16, 2013[87]	$770.00	2,452			1915–1921
29	29	Florence Harding	Items relating to Mrs. Harding's life: ballots and ballot box, camera, torch, and initials referencing World War I veterans	July 10, 2014[88]	$770.00	2,288			1921–1923
30	30	Grace Coolidge	U.S.A. spelled out in American Sign Language in front of the White House; Mrs. Coolidge promoted Deaf education	July 17, 2014[89]	$770.00	2,196			1923–1929
31	31	Lou Hoover	Radio commemorating Mrs. Hoover's radio address of 19 April 1929, the first by a First Lady	August 14, 2014[90]	$770.00	2,025			1929–1933
32	32	Eleanor Roosevelt	A hand lighting a candle, symbolizing her life's work and the global impact of her humanitarian initiatives.	September 4, 2014[91]	$770.00	2,389			1933–1945
33	33	Bess Truman	A wheel on railroad tracks, symbolizing Mrs. Truman's support for her husband on his 1948 whistle stop tour	April 16, 2015[92]	$770.00	N/A			1945–1953
34	34	Mamie Eisenhower	Hand holding an I Like Mamie badge	May 7, 2015[93]	$770.00	N/A			1953–1961
35	35	Jacqueline Kennedy	Saucer magnolia flower (planted by Mrs. Kennedy beside the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame) overlaid on an image of the world.	June 25, 2015[94]	$770.00	N/A			1961–1963
36	36	Lady Bird Johnson	Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument and flowers in reference to Mrs. Johnson's efforts in the beautification and conservation of America	August 27, 2015[95]	N/A	N/A			1963–1969
37	37	Pat Nixon	People standing hand-in-hand surrounding a globe, symbolizing Mrs. Nixon's commitment to volunteerism.	February 18, 2016[96]	N/A	N/A			1969–1974
38	38	Elizabeth Ford	Young woman ascending a staircase, representing Mrs. Ford's openness and advocacy regarding addiction, breast cancer and women's rights.	March 25, 2016[97]	N/A	N/A			1974–1977
39	40	Nancy Reagan	Mrs. Reagan with two children wearing "Just Say No" T-shirts.	July 1, 2016[98]	N/A	N/A			1981–1989
40	41	Barbara Bush	A child reading a book with a road leading to a rising sun, in reference to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.[99]	August 20, 2020[100]	$1,285.00	5,000			1989–1993

* Due to volatility in the gold market, the U.S. Mint lowered the price to $549.95 on November 12, 2008, to more accurately reflect the current spot price of gold. This however constantly changed as the price of gold changed. The mint used pricing range tables to adjust pricing of gold coin: 2016 Pricing Grid

† Chester A. Arthur's wife Ellen died before he succeeded to the presidency. Since there was no First Lady during his presidency, the act explicitly states that Alice Paul, who was born during his term, would appear on this coin.^[78] Since Paul was never First Lady, the coin does not have a served date.

Other provisions

The act also has two other provisions, for the following:

• Issuance of a $50 bullion coin reproducing the 1913 buffalo nickel designed by James Earle Fraser. See American Buffalo (coin)
• Redesign of the reverse of the Lincoln cent in 2009 to show four different scenes from Abraham Lincoln's life in honor of the bicentennial of his birth. These four scenes include:
  1. his birth and early childhood in Kentucky
  2. his formative years in Indiana
  3. his professional life in Illinois
  4. his presidency in Washington, D.C.

In 2009, numismatic cents that have the metallic copper content of cents minted in 1909 were issued for collectors.

Further information: Penny (United States coin) § Lincoln Bicentennial cents (2009)

Since 2010, another redesigned reverse for the Lincoln cent is being minted; this "shall bear an image emblematic of President Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country", and replaced the Lincoln Memorial reverse in use from 1959 to 2008.

Further information: Penny (United States coin) § Union shield cent (2010–present)

See also

• List of presidents of the United States on currency
• American Innovation dollars
• 50 State quarters
• America the Beautiful quarters
• District of Columbia and United States Territories quarters
• Westward Journey nickel series
• Sacagawea dollar
• United States Bicentennial coinage

References

1. "Presidential $1 Coin Program". USMint.gov. June 6, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
2. "S. 457: President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush Coin Act". GovTrack. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
3. "Bush Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Bronze Medal | U.S. Mint". www.usmint.gov. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
4. Roll call vote 624, via Clerk.House.gov
5. Sununu, John E. (December 22, 2005). "S.1047 - 109th Congress (2005-2006): Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005". www.congress.gov.
6. At the time the series ended in 2016, former Presidents Carter, George H. W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush, and then-current President Obama, were still alive, and thus, are not represented on series issues.
7. The United States Mint (March 23, 2010). "The United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Program". usmint.gov. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
8. Presidential dollar coin series being developed, United States Mint News & Views, David A. Lebryk, Acting Director, April 2006
9. H.R. 2764 (Pub. L. 110–161 (text) (PDF)) amends 31 U.S.C. § 5112(n)(2) to remove "In God We Trust" from the edge and adds it to the obverse or reverse (signed December 27, 2007 by George W. Bush, and effective as soon as practical by the Secretary of the Treasury):

   SEC. 623. (a) In General- Section 5112(n)(2) of title 31, United States Code, is amended--

   (1) in subparagraph (C)(i)--

   (A) by striking 'inscriptions' and inserting 'inscription'; and

   (B) by striking 'In God We Trust'; and

   (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

   `(F) INSCRIPTION OF 'IN GOD WE TRUST'- The design on the obverse or the reverse shall bear the inscription 'In God We Trust'.'.

10. Gibbs, William T. "The Presidential dollar series: Failure or success?". coinworld.com. Amos Media Company. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
11. "50 State Quarters Program Earned $6.3 Billion in Seigniorage". news.coinupdate.com. Coin Update. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
12. Louise L. Roseman, Director, Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems Archived 2006-11-17 at the Wayback Machine
13. "Public Law 110–82, the "Native American $1 Coin Act"" (PDF). September 20, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
14. The United States Mint. "The United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Program". usmint.gov. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
15. "U.S. Mint goof: Some new dollar coins missing "In God We Trust"". The Denver Post. March 7, 2007.
16. "A Statement from the United States Mint" (Press release). United States Mint. March 7, 2007. Archived from the original on March 26, 2007.
17. David S Morgan (March 7, 2007). ""Godless" Dollar Coins Slip Through Mint". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 18, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
18. Walters, Patrick (March 22, 2007). "Collectors report fake 'Godless' dollars". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on October 22, 2007.
19. "Presidential $1 Error Coins: John Adams". Numismatic Guaranty Corporation.
20. Squires, Chase (March 14, 2007). "Faceless dollar coin found near Denver". The Boston Globe.
21. "WashingtonDollarErrors.com (Defunct)". discussed a variety of actual and rumored minting errors. Archived from the original on April 10, 2007.
22. Wolin, Neal (December 13, 2011). Reducing the Surplus Dollar Coin Inventory, Saving Taxpayer Dollars. Treasury Notes Blog. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
23. Nasaw, Daniel (August 10, 2010). "BBC News - Why the US keeps minting coins people hate and won't use". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
24. Goldstein, Jacob (July 14, 2011). "Bill Would Kill Dollar Coin Program". NPR. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
25. U.S. GAO. "U.S. Coins: Replacing the $1 Note with a $1 Coin Would Provide a Financial Benefit to the Government". U.S. GAO. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
26. Deshishku, Stacia (December 13, 2011). Treasury to stop producing unneeded dollar coins. CNN. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
27. "Fed Holds 16-Year Surplus of $1 Coins | CoinNews". March 20, 2023.
28. 31 U.S.C. § 5112(n)(2)(E):

    No coin issued under this subsection may bear the image of a living former or current president, or of any deceased former president during the 2-year period following the date of the death of that president.

29. Staff reporter (March 22, 2010). "Legislator calls for Ronald Reagan portrait on $50 FRNs". Coin World. 51 (2606): 73.
30. 31 U.S.C. § 5112(n)(8):

    The issuance of coins under this subsection shall terminate when each president has been so honored, subject to paragraph (2)(E), and may not be resumed except by an Act of Congress.

31. "President Trump signs bill to honor George H.W. Bush, Barbara Bush with coins". wgme.com. WGME. January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
32. "Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Dies at 100". Carter Center. December 29, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
33. Gibbs, William T. "The Presidential dollar series: Failure or success?". coinworld.com. Amos Media Company. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
34. Yeoman, R.S.; Bressett, Kenneth; Bowers, Q. David; Garrett, Jeff (2022). A Guide Book of United States Coins. Pelham, Alabama: Whitman Publishing. p. 244.
35. The United States Mint (March 23, 2010). "The United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Program". Usmint.gov. Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
36. "The United States Mint". Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
37. Staff (1998–2013). "Presidential Dollar Coin Release Schedule". United States Mint. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
38. Staff (2010). "Presidential $1 Coin Information". Federal Reserve Financial Services. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2010. (Archived by WebCite at )
39. "United States Mint Releases William McKinley Presidential $1 Coin Products February 19" (Press release). United States Mint. February 12, 2013. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
40. "United States Mint to Release Theodore Roosevelt Presidential $1 Coin Products on April 11" (Press release). United States Mint. April 4, 2013. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
41. "United States Mint Releases William Howard Taft Presidential $1 Coin Products July 9". US MMint. July 2, 2013. Archived from the original on April 30, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
42. "Woodrow Wilson Presidential $1 Coin Products Available October 17". US Mint. October 10, 2013. Archived from the original on April 30, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
43. "United States Mint Set to Release Warren G. Harding Presidential $1 Coin Products Feb. 6". US Mint. January 30, 2014. Archived from the original on April 30, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
44. "United States Mint Set to Release Calvin Coolidge Presidential $1 Coin Products April 10". United States Mint. April 4, 2014. Archived from the original on April 30, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
45. "Herbert Hoover Presidential $1 Coin Available June 19". United States Mint. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
46. "Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential $1 Coin Product Options Available August 28". United States Mint. August 21, 2014. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
47. "Harry S. Trumann Presidential $ 1 Coin Product Options Available February 5".
48. "United States Mint Begins Accepting Orders for Eisenhower Presidential $1 Coin Products on April 13" (Press release). April 8, 2015. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
49. "Sales Open for Kennedy Presidential $1 Coin Products on June 18" (Press release). June 11, 2015. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
50. "Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential $1 Coin Products Go On Sale on Aug. 18" (Press release). August 11, 2015. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
51. "2016 Richard M. Nixon Presidential $1 Coin Products Go On Sale on Feb. 3" (Press release). January 27, 2016. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
52. "2016 Gerald R. Ford Presidential $1 Coin Products Go On Sale on March 8" (Press release). March 1, 2016. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
53. "2016 United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set™ – Ronald Reagan Available on July 5" (Press release). June 28, 2016. Archived from the original on December 10, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
54. 31 U.S.C. § 5112(o)(5)(A) says:

    IN GENERAL- The bullion coins issued under this subsection with respect to any spouse of a President shall be issued on the same schedule as the $1 coin issued under subsection (n) with respect to each such President.

55. U.S. Mint: First Spouse Program Archived January 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 2008-06-27. "The United States Mint also produces and make available to the public bronze medal duplicates of the First Spouse Gold Coins."
56. Gilkes, Paul (February 16, 2009). "First Spouse medals set holds Adams mule". Coin World. 50 (2549): 1. Some collectors have begun receiving a First Spouse medal mule - a piece bearing the obverse for Abigail Adams and a reverse intended for the Louisa Adams medal. The mules surfaced in some of the 2007 First Spouse sets …
57. Yeoman, R.S. (2016). A Guide Book of United States Coins (69th ed.). Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, LLC. pp. 364–368. ISBN 978-0-7948-4305-2.
58. "United States Mint Offers First Spouse Coins" (Press release). United States Mint. May 10, 2007. Archived from the original on June 7, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
59. "Thomas Jefferson's Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin Available August 30" (Press release). United States Mint. August 13, 2007. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
60. "United States Mint Offers Dolley Madison First Spouse Gold Coins November 19" (Press release). United States Mint. November 15, 2007. Archived from the original on June 7, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
61. "Elizabeth Monroe First Spouse Gold Coin Available February 28" (Press release). United States Mint. February 27, 2008. Archived from the original on June 7, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
62. "Louisa Adams First Spouse Coin and Medal Available May 29" (Press release). United States Mint. May 27, 2008. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
63. "Andrew Jackson's Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Available August 28" (Press release). United States Mint. August 21, 2008. Archived from the original on May 31, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
64. "Martin Van Buren's Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin Available November 25" (Press release). United States Mint. November 26, 2008. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
65. "United States Mint Releases Anna Harrison First Spouse Gold Coin March 5" (Press release). United States Mint. February 25, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
66. "Letitia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Available July 2" (Press release). United States Mint. July 2, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
67. "Julia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Available August 6" (Press release). United States Mint. July 28, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
68. "Sarah Polk First Spouse Gold Coin Available September 3" (Press release). United States Mint. September 1, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
69. "Numismatic Products Featuring First Spouse Margaret Taylor Available December 3 and December 17" (Press release). United States Mint. November 25, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
70. "Abigail Fillmore First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Available March 18" (Press release). United States Mint. March 15, 2010. Archived from the original on June 3, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
71. "United States Mint to Release Jane Pierce First Spouse Bronze Medal Gold Coin and Bronze Medal on June 3" (Press release). United States Mint. May 28, 2010. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
72. "James Buchanan's Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Available September 2" (Press release). United States Mint. August 30, 2010. Archived from the original on September 10, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
73. "United States Mint Releases Final 2010 First Spouse Gold Coin and Bronze Medal December 2" (Press release). November 24, 2010. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
74. "Eliza Johnson First Spouse Gold Coin and Bronze Medal Available May 5" (Press release). April 28, 2011. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
75. "United States Mint to Release Julia Grant First Spouse Gold Coin and Bronze Medal June 23" (Press release). June 16, 2011. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
76. "Lucy Hayes First Spouse Gold Coin & Bronze Medal Available September 1" (Press release). August 30, 2011. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
77. "Lucretia Garfield First Spouse Gold Coin and Bronze Medal Available December 1" (Press release). November 22, 2011. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
78. Alice Paul is explicitly specified in 31 U.S.C. § 5112(o)(3)(D)(i)(II)

    as represented, in the case of President Chester Alan Arthur, by a design incorporating the name and likeness of Alice Paul, a leading strategist in the suffrage movement, who was instrumental in gaining women the right to vote upon the adoption of the 19th amendment and thus the ability to participate in the election of future Presidents, and who was born on January 11, 1885, during the term of President Arthur

79. "United States Mint Launches 2012 First Spouse Gold Coin Series" (Press release). October 2, 2012. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
80. "Frances Cleveland (first term) First Spouse Gold Coins Available November 15" (Press release). November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on November 15, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
81. "United States Mint Opens Sales for Caroline Harrison First Spouse Gold Coin December 6" (Press release). November 29, 2012. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
82. "United States Mint Opens Sales for Final 2012 Numismatic Products Featuring First Spouse Gold Coins and Bronze Medal" (Press release). December 14, 2012. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
83. "United States Mint Set to Release Ida McKinley First Spouse Gold Coin November 14" (Press release). November 7, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
84. "Edith Roosevelt First Spouse Gold Coins Available November 21" (Press release). November 14, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
85. "United States Mint Opens Sales for Helen Taft First Spouse Gold Coins on December 2" (Press release). November 26, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
86. "Ellen Wilson First Spouse Gold Coin Available December 9" (Press release). December 6, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
87. "United States Mint Opens Sales for First Spouse Gold Coin and Bronze Medals December 16" (Press release). December 11, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
88. "United States Mint Set to Release Florence Harding First Spouse Gold Coin July 10" (Press release). July 3, 2014. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
89. "Grace Coolidge First Spouse ½ Ounce Gold Coins Go On Sale July 17" (Press release). July 10, 2014. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
90. "United States Mint Opens Sales for Lou Hoover First Spouse ½ Ounce Gold Coins August 14" (Press release). August 7, 2014. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
91. "United States Mint Opens Sales for Eleanor Roosevelt First Spouse ½ Ounce Gold Coins Sept. 4" (Press release). August 28, 2014. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
92. "United States Mint Opens Sales for Bess Truman First Spouse Gold Coins on April 16" (Press release). April 9, 2015. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
93. "United States Mint Begins Sales of Mamie Eisenhower First Spouse Gold Coins on May 7" (Press release). April 30, 2015. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
94. "Jacqueline Kennedy First Spouse Gold Coins Available on June 25" (Press release). June 18, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
95. "United States Mint Opens Sales for Lady Bird Johnson First Spouse Gold Coins on Aug. 27" (Press release). August 20, 2015. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
96. "United States Mint Opens Sales for Patricia Nixon First Spouse Gold Coins on Feb. 18" (Press release). February 11, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
97. "Now Available: 2016 Betty Ford First Spouse Gold Coins". March 25, 2016. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
98. "Nancy Reagan First Spouse Gold Coins Available July 1". June 27, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
99. "Barbara Bush 2020 First Spouse Gold Proof Coin".
100. "Barbara Bush First Spouse Gold Coin | U.S. Mint". www.usmint.gov. Retrieved February 11, 2021.

External links

• U.S. Mint Presidential $1 Coin Act page Archived June 6, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
• U.S. Mint First Spouse Program page Archived June 18, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
• Images of the Presidential $1 coins Archived April 27, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
• Complete text of the Act at Wikisource
• Senate Bill 1047 Archived 2008-10-20 at the Wayback Machine at Thomas.loc.gov.
• Full Text (PDF) at from the United States Government Printing Office
• Report by the Congressional Budget Office on the cost of H.R. 902 (the companion to S. 1047), which includes information on seigniorage for the State Quarter program. April 12, 2005
• Anderson, Gordon T. "Congress tries again for a dollar coin". CNN/Money. April 28, 2005
• Press release, Nov. 21, 2005: Legislation to Redesign Lincoln Penny Passes Senate; Creates Presidential $1 Coin Program Similar to 50 State Quarters Program

Preceded by Susan B. Anthony dollar

Dollar coin of the United States (2007–2016, 2020) Concurrent with: Sacagawea dollar (2000–present)

Succeeded by American Innovation $1 Coin Program