Presidential Dollar
Presidential $1 Coin Designs
The series is characterized by grand imagery and large designs, incused edge inscriptions, a mint mark, and the inscription, “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” Due to the Presidential $1 Coin Act, the United States Mint has put a renewed emphasis on style and artistry in their coins meaning that the beauty of the Presidential proof sets is nothing to be understated. The designs are larger and more dramatic as well as adding edge incused inscriptions. All shared the same reverse design that centered on a stylistic depiction of the Statue of Liberty, while the obverse would center on a portrait of the former President being honored on a given issue. The obverse would feature an inscription of the President’s name, his order in the timeline of the American Presidency, and the years he was elected.
In addition to the individual Presidential Dollar releases from the Mint, Presidential Proof Sets were also released from 2007 to 2016, which compiled Proof versions of all the Presidential Dollar releases in the given year. These are a great way to quickly build your patriotic themed collection.
Presidential Error Coins
Several Presidential Error Coins have also been identified over the years too, to the delight of collectors around the world. Its not often that Mint errors slip through the strict quality control of the United States Mint and their novelty makes them an attractive addition to any collection. Some of the varieties include 2007 George Washington Dollars with missing edge lettering, 2007 John Adams Dollars with doubled edge lettering, as well as blank lettered planchets.
Eisenhower Dollar
Ask any American what first got them into collecting coins and many will say that it was when they were given their first ever Eisenhower Dollar. Arguably the most famous Presidential Dollar coin, the Eisenhower Dollar was first struck in 1971 and was beloved by many people for its large size. Paying homage to Dwight D. Eisenhower, the valorized general from World War II and later 34th President of the United State, this was the first Dollar coin to be struck by the Mint since the cessation of the Peace Dollar in the 1930s. While a few design changes debuted over the course of its issuance, by and large, the obverse featured a left facing profile of Eisenhower with the inscription “LIBERTY,” and the date of issuance. The reverse featured the insignia from the Apollo 11 Mission, which just saw the successful landing of the first men on the Moon, in 1969.
It is this same large size the forced the Eisenhower dollar coin to become discontinued in 1978 for being too bulky for use in daily life. Paper money dollar bills defintly took over in popularity, also leading to the decline.