Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005
Encyclopedia
The Presidential $1 Coin Program is part of an Act of Congress
, , which directs the United States Mint
to produce $1 coins with engravings of relief portraits of U.S. Presidents
on the obverse.
Bill 1047 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.26760), by unanimous consent on November 18, 2005. The House of Representatives
passed it (291-113) 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 engrossed bill was presented to President Bush on December 15, 2005, and he signed it into law on December 22, 2005.
in that it will not end until every eligible subject is honored. The program is 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. The U.S. Mint calls it the Presidential $1 Coin Program.
The reverse of the coins bears the Statue of Liberty
, the inscription "$1" and the inscription "United States of America". 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 legends E Pluribus Unum
. The edge-lettering looks like this: ; before 2009, In God We Trust
was a 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". The President Washington $1 Coin was first available to the public on February 15, 2007, in honor of Presidents' Day, which was observed on February 19.
This marks the first time since the St. Gaudens Double Eagle
(1907-33) that the United States has 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 , moving "In God We Trust" to either the obverse or reverse of the coins.
This is the same bill that created a program that will include 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 will also educate the public about the history of the nation's presidents. Should the coin not catch on with the general public, the Mint
is hoping that collectors
will be as interested in the dollars as they were with the State Quarters, which generated about $4.6 billion in seigniorage
between January 1999 and April 2005, according to a report by the Congressional Budget Office
.
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 is required to continue after the Presidential program ends. 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." The one-third requirement was later changed to one-fifth by the Native American $1 Coin Act, passed on September 20, 2007, and Sacagawea dollars were only 0.8% of the total dollar coins produced through November 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 does require 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.
, unless his predecessor Jimmy Carter
or one of his successors should die before 2014.
Once the program has terminated, producing coins for those presidents not honored would require another Act of Congress
.
Presidential $1 Coins were released into circulation without their edge inscriptions (the U.S. mottoes, "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, estimates that 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. 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." Counterfeit "Godless dollars" have been produced with the edge lettering filed off.
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. 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 that was not stamped on either side, missing the portrait of George Washington and the Statue of Liberty.
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 for greater than their face value, even though they represent roughly 50% of the minted population.
to Chicago
. By 2016 this number may reach two billion.
The Federal Reserve in June 2011 issued its annual report on the $1 coin program. The report found that since few people want or use the coins, demand for them is extremely low. So momentum is growing in Congress to end the dollar coin programs because many members believe the coins waste taxpayer money.
Rep. Jackie Speier of California is currently circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter recommending that the U.S. not produce any dollar coins. She plans to introduce legislation calling for the immediate halting of all dollar coin programs.
The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has stated that discontinuing the dollar bill in favor of the dollar coin would save the U.S. government approximately $5.5 billion over thirty years.
† — The act specifies that for a president to be honored he must have been deceased for no less than two years. (See above.)
), but the law uses the term "First Spouse".
The obverse of these coins will 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 will mint and issue First Spouse Gold Coins on the same schedule as the Presidential $1 Coins issued honoring the Presidents. Each coin will have 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 without a First Spouse, as Thomas Jefferson did, a gold coin will be 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 will be the coin depicting suffragist Alice Paul
representing the era of the Chester A. Arthur
presidency, as Arthur was a widower.
The act, as written, explicitly states that the first spouse coins will be released at the same time as their respective $1 President coins. 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 may appear on a coin. Currently, one living First Lady, Nancy Reagan
, is eligible.
The United States Mint launched the first spouse coins officially at 12pm 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 will also produce and make available to the public bronze medal duplicates of the First Spouse Gold Coins which are not legal tender. In February 2009 Coin World
reported that some 2007 Abigail Adams medals were struck using the reverse from the 2008 Louisa Adams medal. These pieces, called mule
s, were contained within the 2007 First Spouse medal set.
A full listing of the coins is as follows:
* 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.
† Chester A. Arthur's wife 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, will appear on this coin. Since Paul was never First Lady, then the coin will not have a served date.
‡ For this spouse to be honored, the respective president must qualify for a coin (see above).
In 2009, numismatic cents which have the metallic copper content of cents minted in 1909 were issued for collectors.
After 2009, another redesigned reverse for the Lincoln cent will be 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 will replace the Lincoln Memorial
reverse in use from 1959 to 2008.
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
, , which directs the United States Mint
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
to produce $1 coins with engravings of relief portraits of U.S. Presidents
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
on the obverse.
Legislative history
SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Bill 1047 was introduced on May 17, 2005, by Senator John E. Sununu
John E. Sununu
John Edward Sununu is a former Republican United States Senator from New Hampshire, of Lebanese and Palestinian Christian ancestry. Sununu was the youngest member of the Senate for his entire six year term. He is the son of former New Hampshire Governor John H...
with over 70 co-sponsors.
It was reported favorably out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to: banks and banking, price controls, deposit insurance, export promotion and controls, federal monetary policy, financial aid to commerce and industry, issuance of redemption of notes,...
without amendment on July 29, 2005. The Senate passed it with a technical amendment (S.AMDT.26760), by unanimous consent on November 18, 2005. The House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
passed it (291-113) 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 engrossed bill was presented to President Bush on December 15, 2005, and he signed it into law on December 22, 2005.
Program details
The program began on January 1, 2007, and is similar to the State Quarter program50 State Quarters
The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of circulating commemorative coins by the United States Mint. Between 1999 and 2008, it featured each of the 50 U.S. states on unique designs for the reverse of the quarter....
in that it will not end until every eligible subject is honored. The program is 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. The U.S. Mint calls it the Presidential $1 Coin Program.
The reverse of the coins bears the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
, the inscription "$1" and the inscription "United States of America". 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 legends E Pluribus Unum
E pluribus unum
E pluribus unum , Latin for "Out of many, one", is a phrase on the Seal of the United States, along with Annuit cœptis and Novus ordo seclorum, and adopted by an Act of Congress in 1782...
. The edge-lettering looks like this: ; before 2009, In God We Trust
In God We Trust
"In God We Trust" was adopted as the official motto of the United States in 1956. It is also the motto of the U.S. state of Florida. The Legality of this motto has been questioned because of the United States Constitution forbidding the government to make any law respecting the establishment of a...
was a part of the edge lettering. The legend "Liberty
Liberty
Liberty is a moral and political principle, or Right, that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions...
" 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". The President Washington $1 Coin was first available to the public on February 15, 2007, in honor of Presidents' Day, which was observed on February 19.
This marks the first time since the St. Gaudens Double Eagle
St. Gaudens Double Eagle
The Saint-Gaudens double eagle is a twenty-dollar gold coin, or double eagle, produced by the United States Mint from 1907 to 1933. The coin is named after its designer, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who designed the obverse and reverse. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful of U.S...
(1907-33) that the United States has issued a coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
with edge lettering for circulation. Edge lettered coins date back to the 1790s. The process was started to discourage the shaving
Coin clipping
Coin debasement is the act of decreasing the amount of precious metal in a coin, while continuing to circulate it at face value. This was frequently done by governments in order to inflate the amount of currency in circulation; typically, some of the precious metal was replaced by a cheaper metal...
of gold coin edges, a practice which was used to cheat payees. In December 2007, Congress passed , moving "In God We Trust" to either the obverse or reverse of the coins.
This is the same bill that created a program that will include quarters for Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
.
The act had been introduced because of the failure of the Sacagawea $1 coin
Sacagawea dollar
The Sacagawea dollar is a United States dollar coin that has been minted every year since 2000. These coins have a copper core clad by manganese brass, giving them a distinctive golden color. The coin features an obverse by Glenna Goodacre. The reverse design has varied, from 2000 to 2008...
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 will also educate the public about the history of the nation's presidents. Should the coin not catch on with the general public, the Mint
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
is hoping that collectors
Coin collecting
Coin collecting is the collecting or trading of coins or other forms of minted legal tender.Coins of interest to collectors often include those that circulated for only a brief time, coins with mint errors and especially beautiful or historically significant pieces. Coin collecting can be...
will be as interested in the dollars as they were with the State Quarters, which generated about $4.6 billion in seigniorage
Seigniorage
Seigniorage can have the following two meanings:* Seigniorage derived from specie—metal coins, is a tax, added to the total price of a coin , that a customer of the mint had to pay to the mint, and that was sent to the sovereign of the political area.* Seigniorage derived from notes is more...
between January 1999 and April 2005, according to a report by the Congressional Budget Office
Congressional Budget Office
The Congressional Budget Office is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides economic data to Congress....
.
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
Sacagawea dollar
The Sacagawea dollar is a United States dollar coin that has been minted every year since 2000. These coins have a copper core clad by manganese brass, giving them a distinctive golden color. The coin features an obverse by Glenna Goodacre. The reverse design has varied, from 2000 to 2008...
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 is required to continue after the Presidential program ends. These requirements were added at the behest of the North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
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." The one-third requirement was later changed to one-fifth by the Native American $1 Coin Act, passed on September 20, 2007, and Sacagawea dollars were only 0.8% of the total dollar coins produced through November 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
Susan B. Anthony dollar
The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States coin minted from 1979 to 1981, and again in 1999. It depicts women's suffrage campaigner Susan B. Anthony on a dollar coin. It was the first circulating U.S. coin with the portrait of an actual woman rather than an allegorical female figure such as...
, but the version of the act which became law merely directs the Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
to study the matter and report back to Congress. The act does require federal government agencies (including the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
), 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.
The program's end
The act specifies that for a president to be honored, the former president must have been deceased for at least two years before issue. It will take about ten years to honor all currently eligible presidents. The series will therefore end in 2016 after honoring President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, unless his predecessor Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
or one of his successors should die before 2014.
Once the program has terminated, producing coins for those presidents not honored would require another Act of Congress
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
.
Minting errors
On March 8, 2007, the United States Mint announced that, on February 15, 2007, an unknown number of George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
Presidential $1 Coins were released into circulation without their edge inscriptions (the U.S. mottoes, "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, estimates that at least 50,000 coins were released without the edge inscriptions. The first such coin discovered was sold on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
for $600, while later coins were selling for $40–$60, as of late March 2007. 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." Counterfeit "Godless dollars" have been produced with the edge lettering filed off.
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. 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 that was not stamped on either side, missing the portrait of George Washington and the Statue of Liberty.
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 for greater than their face value, even though they represent roughly 50% of the minted population.
Stockpile
By 2010, 1.1 billion uncirculated $1 coins were stockpiled, a quantity that could reach from New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. By 2016 this number may reach two billion.
The Federal Reserve in June 2011 issued its annual report on the $1 coin program. The report found that since few people want or use the coins, demand for them is extremely low. So momentum is growing in Congress to end the dollar coin programs because many members believe the coins waste taxpayer money.
Rep. Jackie Speier of California is currently circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter recommending that the U.S. not produce any dollar coins. She plans to introduce legislation calling for the immediate halting of all dollar coin programs.
The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has stated that discontinuing the dollar bill in favor of the dollar coin would save the U.S. government approximately $5.5 billion over thirty years.
Coin details
Dollar coins are being issued bearing the likenesses of Presidents, as follows:| Release number |
President President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... number |
President President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... |
Release date | Denver Mintage |
Philadelphia Mintage |
Total Mintage | Design | In office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st | George Washington George Washington George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of... |
February 15, 2007 | 163,680,000 | 176,680,000 | 340,360,000 | 1789 – 1797 | |
| 2 | 2nd | John Adams John Adams John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States... |
May 17, 2007 | 112,140,000 | 112,420,000 | 224,560,000 |  |
1797 – 1801 |
| 3 | 3rd | Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia... |
August 16, 2007 | 102,810,000 | 100,800,000 | 203,610,000 |  |
1801 – 1809 |
| 4 | 4th | James Madison James Madison James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United... |
November 15, 2007 | 87,780,000 | 84,560,000 | 172,340,000 |  |
1809 – 1817 |
| 5 | 5th | James Monroe James Monroe James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation... |
February 14, 2008 | 60,230,000 | 64,260,000 | 124,490,000 |  |
1817 – 1825 |
| 6 | 6th | John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former... |
May 15, 2008 | 57,720,000 | 57,540,000 | 115,260,000 |  |
1825 – 1829 |
| 7 | 7th | Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans... |
August 14, 2008 | 61,070,000 | 61,180,000 | 122,250,000 |  |
1829 – 1837 |
| 8 | 8th | Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson .... |
November 13, 2008 | 51,520,000 | 50,960,000 | 102,480,000 |  |
1837 – 1841 |
| 9 | 9th | William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the... |
February 19, 2009 | 43,260,000 | 55,160,000 | 98,420,000 |  |
1841 |
| 10 | 10th | John Tyler John Tyler John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor... |
May 21, 2009 | 43,540,000 | 43,540,000 | 87,080,000 |  |
1841 – 1845 |
| 11 | 11th | James K. Polk James K. Polk James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee... |
August 20, 2009 | 41,720,000 | 46,620,000 | 88,340,000 |  |
1845 – 1849 |
| 12 | 12th | Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass... |
November 19, 2009 | 36,680,000 | 41,580,000 | 78,260,000 |  |
1849 – 1850 |
| 13 | 13th | Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president... |
February 18, 2010 | 36,960,000 | 37,520,000 | 74,480,000 | 1850 – 1853 | |
| 14 | 14th | Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army... |
May 20, 2010 | 38,220,000 | 38,360,000 | 76,580,000 | 1853 – 1857 | |
| 15 | 15th | James Buchanan James Buchanan James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century.... |
August 19, 2010 | 36,540,000 | 36,820,000 | 73,360,000 | 1857 – 1861 | |
| 16 | 16th | Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and... |
November 18, 2010 | 48,020,000 | 49,000,000 | 97,020,000 | 1861 – 1865 | |
| 17 | 17th | Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American... |
February 17, 2011 | 37,100,000 | 35,560,000 | 72,660,000 | 1865 – 1869 | |
| 18 | 18th | Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America... |
May 19, 2011 | 37,940,000 | 38,080,000 | 76,020,000 | 1869 – 1877 | |
| 19 | 19th | Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution... |
August 18, 2011 | 36,820,000 | 37,660,000 | 74,480,000 | 1877 – 1881 | |
| 20 | 20th | James A. Garfield | November 17, 2011 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1881 | |
| 21 | 21st | Chester A. Arthur Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing... |
2012 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1881 – 1885 |
| 22 | 22nd | Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents... |
2012 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1885 – 1889 |
| 23 | 23rd | Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there... |
2012 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1889 – 1893 |
| 24 | 24th | Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents... |
2012 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1893 – 1897 |
| 25 | 25th | William McKinley William McKinley William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s... |
2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1897 – 1901 |
| 26 | 26th | Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity... |
2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1901 – 1909 |
| 27 | 27th | William Howard Taft William Howard Taft William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States... |
2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1909 – 1913 |
| 28 | 28th | Woodrow Wilson Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913... |
2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1913 – 1921 |
| 29 | 29th | Warren G. Harding Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator... |
2014 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1921 – 1923 |
| 30 | 30th | Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state... |
2014 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1923 – 1929 |
| 31 | 31st | Herbert Hoover Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business... |
2014 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1929 – 1933 |
| 32 | 32nd | Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war... |
2014 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1933 – 1945 |
| 33 | 33rd | Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his... |
2015 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1945 – 1953 |
| 34 | 34th | Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army... |
2015 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1953 – 1961 |
| 35 | 35th | John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.... |
2015 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1961 – 1963 |
| 36 | 36th | Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States... |
2015 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1963 – 1969 |
| 37 | 37th | Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under... |
2016 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1969 – 1974 |
| 38 | 38th | Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974... |
2016 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1974 – 1977 |
| † | 39th | Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office... |
1977 – 1981 | |||||
| 39 (tentative) |
40th | Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... |
2016 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1981 – 1989 |
| † | 41st | George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to... |
1989 – 1993 | |||||
| † | 42nd | Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... |
1993 – 2001 | |||||
| † | 43rd | George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... |
2001 – 2009 | |||||
| † | 44th | Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
2009 – | |||||
† — The act specifies that for a president to be honored he must have been deceased for no less than two years. (See above.)
First Spouse Program
The United States is honoring 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 that they served as First Spouse, beginning in 2007. To date, all first spouses have been women (often called First LadiesFirst Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
), but the law uses the term "First Spouse".
The obverse of these coins will 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 will mint and issue First Spouse Gold Coins on the same schedule as the Presidential $1 Coins issued honoring the Presidents. Each coin will have 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 without a First Spouse, as Thomas Jefferson did, a gold coin will be 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 will be the coin depicting suffragist Alice Paul
Alice Paul
Alice Stokes Paul was an American suffragist and activist. Along with Lucy Burns and others, she led a successful campaign for women's suffrage that resulted in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.-Activism: Alice Paul received her undergraduate education from...
representing the era of the Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
presidency, as Arthur was a widower.
The act, as written, explicitly states that the first spouse coins will be released at the same time as their respective $1 President coins. 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 may appear on a coin. Currently, one living First Lady, Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
, is eligible.
The United States Mint launched the first spouse coins officially at 12pm EDT on June 19, 2007.
They provided two versions of the coin: a proof version for $429.95 and an uncirculated
Uncirculated coin
The term uncirculated coin can refer to three things:* A coin that is released to the public but not intended for general circulation but is available through a mint or through a local coin dealer...
version for $410.95.
The United States Mint will also produce and make available to the public bronze medal duplicates of the First Spouse Gold Coins which are not legal tender. In February 2009 Coin World
Coin World
Coin World is an American weekly numismatic magazine. It is the world’s #1 publication for coin collectors and the weekly newspaper of the entire numismatic field...
reported that some 2007 Abigail Adams medals were struck using the reverse from the 2008 Louisa Adams medal. These pieces, called mule
Mule (coin)
In numismatics, a mule is a coin or medal minted with obverse and reverse designs not normally seen on the same piece. These can be intentional or produced by error. This type of error is highly sought after, and examples can fetch steep prices from collectors.The earliest mules are found among...
s, were contained within the 2007 First Spouse medal set.
A full listing of the coins is as follows:
| Release # |
Spouse First Lady of the United States First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The... # |
Name | Release date | Proof Issue Price | Mintage figures |
Front/Obverse Design |
Reverse Design |
Front/Obverse Design (bronze) |
Reverse Design (bronze) |
Dates Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Martha Washington Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States... |
June 19, 2007 | $429.95 | N/A |  |
 |
 |
 |
1789 - 1797 |
| 2 | 2 | Abigail Adams Abigail Adams Abigail Adams was the wife of John Adams, who was the second President of the United States, and the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth... |
June 19, 2007 | $429.95 | N/A |  |
 |
 |
 |
1797 - 1801 |
| 3 | 3 | Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia... ’s Liberty |
August 30, 2007 | $429.95 | N/A |  |
1801 - 1809 | |||
| 4 | 4 | Dolley Madison Dolley Madison Dolley Payne Todd Madison was the spouse of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and was First Lady of the United States from 1809 to 1817... |
November 19, 2007 | $529.95 | N/A |  |
 |
 |
 |
1809 - 1817 |
| 5 | 5 | Elizabeth Monroe Elizabeth Kortright Monroe Elizabeth Kortright Monroe was First Lady of the United States from 1817 to 1825, as the wife of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States, who held the office for two terms.-Early Life and Marriage:... |
February 28, 2008 | $619.95* | N/A |  |
 |
 |
 |
1817 - 1825 |
| 6 | 6 | Louisa Adams Louisa Adams Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, born Louisa Catherine Johnson , wife of John Quincy Adams, was First Lady of the United States from 1825 to 1829.-Early life:... |
May 29, 2008 | $619.95* | N/A |  |
 |
 |
 |
1825 - 1829 |
| 7 | 7 | Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans... ’s Liberty |
August 28, 2008 | $619.95* | N/A | 1829 - 1837 | ||||
| 8 | 8 | Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson .... ’s Liberty |
November 25, 2008 | $549.95 | N/A | 1837 - 1841 | ||||
| 9 | 9 | Anna Harrison Anna Harrison Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison , wife of President William Henry Harrison and grandmother of President Benjamin Harrison, was nominally First Lady of the United States during her husband's one-month term in 1841, but she never entered the White House.-Early Life and Marriage:Anna was born at her... |
March 5, 2009 | $629.00 | N/A | 1841 | ||||
| 10 | 10 | Letitia Tyler Letitia Christian Tyler Letitia Christian Tyler , first wife of John Tyler, was First Lady of the United States from 1841 until her death.-Early Life and Marriage:... |
July 2, 2009 | N/A | N/A | 1841 - 1842 | ||||
| 10A | 10A | Julia Tyler Julia Gardiner Tyler Julia Gardiner Tyler , second wife of John Tyler, was First Lady of the United States from June 26, 1844, to March 4, 1845.-Early life:... |
August 6, 2009 | N/A | N/A | 1844 - 1845 | ||||
| 11 | 11 | Sarah Polk Sarah Childress Polk Sarah Childress Polk was the wife of the 11th President of the United States, James Polk, and the 12th woman to serve as First Lady. Sarah was born in 1803 to Joel Childress, a prominent planter, merchant, and land speculator, and Elizabeth Whitsitt Childress—the third of their six children... |
September 3, 2009 | N/A | N/A | 1845 - 1849 | ||||
| 12 | 12 | Margaret Taylor Margaret Taylor Margaret Mackall Smith "Peggy" Taylor , wife of Zachary Taylor, was First Lady of the United States from 1849 to 1850.-Early Life and Marriage:... |
December 3, 2009 | N/A | N/A | 1849 - 1850 | ||||
| 13 | 13 | Abigail Fillmore Abigail Fillmore Abigail Powers Fillmore , wife of Millard Fillmore, was First Lady of the United States from 1850 to 1853.Abigail was born in Stillwater, New York, 1798, in Saratoga County, New York. She was the daughter of the Reverend Lemuel Powers, a Baptist minister, and Abigail Newland-Powers, Abigail grew... |
March 18, 2010 | N/A | N/A | 1850 - 1853 | ||||
| 14 | 14 | Jane Pierce Jane Pierce Jane Means Appleton Pierce , wife of U.S. President Franklin Pierce, was First Lady of the United States from 1853 to 1857.... |
June 3, 2010 | N/A | N/A | 1853 - 1857 | ||||
| 15 | 15 | James Buchanan James Buchanan James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century.... ’s Liberty |
September 2, 2010 | N/A | N/A | 1857 - 1861 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | Mary Todd Lincoln Mary Todd Lincoln Mary Ann Lincoln was the wife of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and was First Lady of the United States from 1861 to 1865.-Life before the White House:... |
December 2, 2010 | N/A | N/A | 1861 - 1865 | ||||
| 17 | 17 | Eliza Johnson Eliza McCardle Johnson Eliza McCardle Johnson was the First Lady of the United States and the wife of Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States.-Early Life and Marriage:... |
May 2011 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1865 - 1869 |
| 18 | 18 | Julia Grant Julia Grant Julia Boggs Dent-Grant , was the wife of the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, and was First Lady of the United States from 1869 to 1877.-Background:... |
June 2011 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1869 - 1877 |
| 19 | 19 | Lucy Hayes Lucy Webb Hayes Lucille "Lucy" Ware Webb Hayes was a First Lady of the United States and the wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes.Historians have christened her "Lemonade Lucy" due to her staunch support of the temperance movement... |
September 1, 2011 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1877 - 1881 |
| 20 | 20 | Lucretia Garfield Lucretia Garfield Lucretia Rudolph Garfield , wife of James A. Garfield, was First Lady of the United States in 1881.-Early life:... |
2011 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1881 |
| 21 | 21 | Alice Paul Alice Paul Alice Stokes Paul was an American suffragist and activist. Along with Lucy Burns and others, she led a successful campaign for women's suffrage that resulted in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.-Activism: Alice Paul received her undergraduate education from... |
2012 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A † |
| 22 | 22 | Frances Cleveland Frances Folsom Cleveland Frances Clara Folsom Cleveland Preston was the wife of the President of the United States Grover Cleveland and the 27th first lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889 and again from 1893 to 1897. Becoming first lady at age 21, she remains the youngest first lady to this day... |
2012 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1886 - 1889 |
| 23 | 23 | Caroline Harrison Caroline Harrison Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison , wife of Benjamin Harrison, was first lady of the United States from 1889 until her death. She was the first “first lady” to be born in October.-Early life:... |
2012 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1889 - 1893 |
| 24 | 24 | Frances Cleveland | 2012 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1893 - 1897 |
| 25 | 25 | Ida McKinley Ida Saxton McKinley Ida Saxton McKinley , wife of William McKinley, was First Lady of the United States from 1897 to 1901.-Early life and marriage:... |
2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1897 - 1901 |
| 26 | 26 | Edith Roosevelt Edith Roosevelt Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt was the second wife of Theodore Roosevelt and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1901 to 1909.-Early life:... |
2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1901 - 1909 |
| 27 | 27 | Helen Taft Helen Herron Taft Helen Louise Herron "Nellie" Taft was the wife of William Howard Taft and First Lady of the United States from 1909 to 1913.-Early years:... |
2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1909 - 1913 |
| 28 | 28 | Ellen Wilson Ellen Louise Wilson Ellen Axson Wilson , first wife of Woodrow Wilson, was First Lady of the United States from 1913 until her death.-Biography:... |
2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1913 - 1914 |
| 28A | 28A | Edith Wilson Edith Bolling Wilson Edith Bolling Galt Wilson , second wife of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, was First Lady of the United States from 1915 to 1921. She has been labeled "the Secret President" and "the first woman to run the government" for the role she played when her husband suffered prolonged and disabling illness... |
2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1915 - 1921 |
| 29 | 29 | Florence Harding Florence Harding Florence Mabel Kling "Flossie" Harding , wife of President Warren G... |
2014 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1921 - 1923 |
| 30 | 30 | Grace Coolidge Grace Coolidge Grace Anna Goodhue Coolidge was the wife of Calvin Coolidge and First Lady of the United States from 1923 to 1929.-Biography:... |
2014 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1923 - 1929 |
| 31 | 31 | Lou Hoover Lou Henry Hoover Lou Henry Hoover was the wife of President of the United States Herbert Hoover and First Lady of the United States, 1929-1933. Mrs. Hoover was president of the Girl Scouts of the USA for two terms, 1922-1925 and 1935-1937.... |
2014 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1929 - 1933 |
| 32 | 32 | Eleanor Roosevelt Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international... |
2014 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1933 - 1945 |
| 33 | 33 | Bess Truman Bess Truman Bess Truman , was the wife of Harry S. Truman and First Lady of the United States from 1945 to 1953.-Early life:... |
2015 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1945 - 1953 |
| 34 | 34 | Mamie Eisenhower Mamie Eisenhower Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower was the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961.-Early life:... |
2015 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1953 - 1961 |
| 35 | 35 | Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle... |
2015 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1961 - 1963 |
| 36 | 36 | Lady Bird Johnson Lady Bird Johnson Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 during the presidency of her husband Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout her life, she was an advocate for beautification of the nation's cities and highways and conservation of natural resources and made that... |
2015 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1963 - 1969 |
| 37 | 37 | Pat Nixon Pat Nixon Thelma Catherine "Pat" Ryan Nixon was the wife of Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States, and was First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974. She was commonly known as Patricia or Pat Nixon.Born in Nevada, Pat Ryan grew up in Los Angeles, California... |
2016 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1969 - 1974 |
| 38 | 38 | Elizabeth Ford Betty Ford Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford , better known as Betty Ford, was First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977 during the presidency of her husband Gerald Ford... |
2016 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1974 - 1977 |
| ‡ | 39 | Rosalynn Carter Rosalynn Carter Eleanor Rosalynn Carter is the wife of the former President of the United States Jimmy Carter and in that capacity served as the First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981. As First Lady and after, she has been a leading advocate for numerous causes, perhaps most prominently for mental... |
‡ | 1977 - 1981 | ||||||
| 39 (tentative) | 40 | Nancy Reagan Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.... |
2016 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1981 - 1989 |
| ‡ | 41 | Barbara Bush Barbara Bush Barbara Pierce Bush is the wife of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She is the mother of the 43rd President George W. Bush and of the 43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush... |
‡ | 1989 - 1993 | ||||||
| ‡ | 42 | Hillary Clinton | ‡ | 1993 - 2001 | ||||||
| ‡ | 43 | Laura Bush Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest... |
‡ | 2001 - 2009 | ||||||
| ‡ | 44 | Michelle Obama Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States... |
‡ | 2009 - | ||||||
† Chester A. Arthur's wife 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, will appear on this coin. Since Paul was never First Lady, then the coin will not have a served date.
‡ For this spouse to be honored, the respective president must qualify for a coin (see above).
Other provisions
The act also has two other provisions, for:- Issuance of a $50 bullion coinAmerican Buffalo (coin)The American Buffalo, also known as a gold buffalo, is a 24-karat bullion coin first offered for sale by the United States Mint on June 22, 2006, and available for shipment beginning on July 13. The coin follows the greatly admired design of the Indian Head nickel and has gained its nickname from...
reproducing the 1913 Buffalo nickel designed by James Earle Fraser. See American Buffalo (coin)American Buffalo (coin)The American Buffalo, also known as a gold buffalo, is a 24-karat bullion coin first offered for sale by the United States Mint on June 22, 2006, and available for shipment beginning on July 13. The coin follows the greatly admired design of the Indian Head nickel and has gained its nickname from... - Redesign of the reverse of the Lincoln centLincoln centBelow are the mintage figures for the Lincoln penny-Mintage figures:Lincoln wheat cent, 1909-1958 Lincoln Memorial cent, 1959-1982 ...
in 2009 to show four different scenes from Abraham Lincoln'sAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
life in honor of the bicentennial of his birth. These four scenes include:- his birth and early childhood in KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
; - his formative years in IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
; - his professional life in IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
; and - his presidency in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
- his birth and early childhood in Kentucky
In 2009, numismatic cents which have the metallic copper content of cents minted in 1909 were issued for collectors.
After 2009, another redesigned reverse for the Lincoln cent will be 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 will replace the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
reverse in use from 1959 to 2008.
See also
- List of United States Presidents by currency appearances
- America the Beautiful quarters
- 50 State Quarters50 State QuartersThe 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of circulating commemorative coins by the United States Mint. Between 1999 and 2008, it featured each of the 50 U.S. states on unique designs for the reverse of the quarter....
- District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter ProgramDistrict of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter ProgramThe District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter Program was a one-year coin program of the United States Mint that saw quarters being minted in 2009 to honor the District of Columbia and the unincorporated United States insular areas of Puerto Rico, Guam, United States Virgin...
- Westward Journey Nickel Series
External links
- U.S. Mint Presidential $1 Coin Act page
- U.S. Mint First Spouse Program page
- Images of the Presidential $1 coins
- Complete text of the Act at Wikisource
- Senate Bill 1047 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