Presidential Dollar (2007-2016)

Presidential Dollar (2007-2016): A Brief History

The Presidential Dollar Coin Program was a series of
circulating commemorative coins issued by the United States Mint from 2007 to
2016. The program aimed to honor former U.S. Presidents by featuring their
images on the obverse (front) of the coins.

The program was authorized by the Presidential $1 Coin Act,
which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 22, 2005.
This legislation called for the issuance of a series of $1 coins featuring the
images of deceased U.S. Presidents. The series started in 2007 with the release
of the George Washington Presidential Dollar. Subsequent coins were released in
chronological order of each President's term. The coins featured a portrait of
the President on the obverse, with the Statue of Liberty on the reverse. The
mint released four presidents per year until 2016, when the program was
concluded.

The order of release was determined by the chronological
order of each President's term, beginning with George Washington. The final
coin in the series was Richard M. Nixon, released in 2016. Despite being legal
tender, the Presidential Dollar Coins did not circulate widely in everyday
transactions. The public's limited use of dollar coins in commerce and the
prevalence of the one-dollar bill contributed to this low circulation.

Due to low demand and stockpiles of unused coins, the mint
suspended production of Presidential Dollar Coins for circulation in 2012.
However, they continued to produce limited quantities for collectors. The coins
became popular among coin collectors, and the U.S. Mint continued to produce
numismatic products, such as proof and uncirculated sets, featuring the
Presidential Dollars.

The Presidential Dollar Coin Program officially concluded in
2016 with the release of the Richard M. Nixon coin. The subsequent years saw
the continuation of the Native American $1 Coin series and the introduction of
other commemorative coin programs.

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