THE 101 ON PRESIDENTIAL DOLLAR COINS

Image Source: Wikipedia

In December 2005, George W. Bush signed the Presidential $1 Coin Program into law. The program was designed to create four one-dollar coins at the beginning of each year, starting in January 2007. Of course, the program would work chronologically and begin with George Washington and run through the remainder of the presidents. Additionally, the act demanded that the president honored be deceased for at least two years which is why Jimmy Carter. As a result, Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden haven’t been featured on any coins.

COIN HISTORY AND DESIGNS

The creation of the coins was meant to honor the centuries of distinguished presidents that have served the USA. The obverse design of the presidential coins features the bust of the president being honored. Encircling the president’s head is the name of the president. On the lower edge of the coin, from left to right, the words “In God We Trust,” the number of the president, and the dates during which he served are also stamped. Some of the presidents are pictured in a half-profile, others in a 3/4 profile, and others still are displayed in a full profile.

On the reverse side of the coin, the Statue of Liberty is pictured with the viewer looking “up” towards the statue. The statue breaks out of the traditional borders and runs to the coin’s edge. In the lower left quadrant of the coin, “$1” appears, and encircling the rest of the coin between the edge and the buffer border, the words “United States of America” are also stamped.

These coins, notably, also have inscriptions written on the edges of the coin. Some error coins have lacked these inscriptions and consequently are more collectible and valuable than the coin would otherwise be. The 2008 and 2009 coins bear the inscription “E Pluribus Unum” and “In God We Trust.” In the 2009 coins and all coins after, “In God we Trust” was moved to the obverse side of the coin and was replaced on the edge with the date, 13 stars, and “E Pluribus Unum.”

VALUE

As the series went on into more obscure presidencies, the Presidential Dollar Coins diminished in demand. By 2012, the Secretary of the Mint reduced the number of coins being minted to the minimum allowed by law. 

Unsurprisingly, these coins are generally worth the face value of $1. There are, however, some notable exceptions to this. Proof coins and uncirculated coins do have higher market values but generally not more than $5 or $6. 

However, error coins do seem to be highly collectible, and three main error coins in this collection exist: 2007 George Washington, 2007 J. Adams, and 2007-P J. Adams. All of these have lettering issues on the coin edges. The Washington coin can fetch up to $50, while the regular Adams coin can earn up to $140. The Philadelphia Adams coin can also earn up to about $50.

CONCLUSION

The Presidential Dollar Coins are a great collection piece, especially in proof sets and complete with the different error coins. If you have any questions about how to acquire bullion or coins, our experts are standing by, ready to help you purchase the next addition to your precious metals portfolio.

**Prices stated in this article are subjective and not intended to project actual value. All precious metal prices are dependent on several factors.**