Presidential Dollar Guide
The Presidents of the United States are being honored with a new circulating dollar coin series.
The Presidential Dollar series began in 2007 with coins honoring George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. The series continues this year with the issuance of coins for James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and Martin Van Buren.
The Presidential Dollar Coin Act
The series was authorized under The Presidential $1 Coin Act (Public Law 109-145), which provides for the issuance of circulating dollar coins to honor each of the Presidents of the United States. The new series seeks to revitalize the design of United States coinage and return it to its position as an object of aesthetic beauty.
The Act includes measures to ensure an adequate supply of the coins are available for circulation. The Director of the US Mint is also required to increase public awareness of the new dollar coins through various activities and programs.
Provisions are also included in the Act to honor the First Spouses of the United States. Under the First Spouse Gold Coin Program, the US Mint will issue 24-karat gold $10 coins for the spouse of each President. These coins are released in conjunction with the Presidential Dollars and sold directly by the US Mint.
Presidential Dollar Coin Designs
The obverse design of the Presidential Dollar features the likeness and name of the President being honored. Inscriptions indicate the number order the President served and the years of the term of office.
The reverse design features a rendition of the Statue of Liberty with the inscriptions “$1″ and “United States of America.” Notably, the word “Liberty” does not appear, even though it appears on all other circulating US coinage. Instead, the Statue of Liberty is intended to represent this value symbolically.
The Presidential Dollar series includes special edge-insused inscriptions. By including certain items on the edge of the coin, more room is left on the faces of the coin for larger and more dramatic artwork. The edges include the date and mint mark plus the words “In God We Trust” and “E Pluribus Unum.” Learn more about Presidential Dollar Edge Lettering.
Presidential Dollar Release Schedule
Coins will be issued at a rate of four per year in the order Presidents served. If a President served in two or more consecutive terms, only one coin will be issued. If a President served in two nonconsecutive periods of service, a coin may be issued for each period. The series is limited to deceased Presidents.
View the Presidential Dollar Release Schedule.