Following the ill-fated Susan B. Anthony Dollar of 1977-79 & 1999, the U.S. Mint wanted to make sure its dollar coin for the new millennium wouldn’t meet with the same lukewarm reception from the public. And, according to the United States Dollar Coin Act of 1997, Congress required that the new dollar coin:

• Be golden in color
• Have a distinctive edge
• Have a feel and appearance that makes it readily distinguishable from other coins
• Be minted and fabricated in the United States
• Be the same size as the Susan B. Anthony Dollar (26.5 mm in diameter), and depict an eagle on the reverse

In addition, the coin was required to show one or more women, but could not depict a living person. The result was the stunning U.S. Golden Dollar featuring a beautiful portrait of Sacagawea, the Shoshone Indian woman who helped guide Lewis & Clark on their exploration of the Louisiana Territory from 1803-1806. Sacagawea is portrayed on the Golden Dollar in three-quarter profile with her infant son, Jean Baptiste, on her back. Sacagawea was six months pregnant when she joined the Lewis and Clark expedition, and gave birth to Jean Baptiste early in the journey. The portrait of Sacagawea was designed by Glenna Goodacre, who based her design on Randy’L He-dow Teton, a member of the Shoshone tribe who Goodacre met at the University of New Mexico.

The Sacagawea Golden Dollar is just one of only seven major U.S. dollar coin designs in the past 150 years. Now you can not only get the important first-year-of-issue 2000 Sacagawea Golden Dollar, but you can get it in extremely high grade Mint State 67 Superb Gem Brilliant Uncirculated condition.