The United States Mint launched 2012 Native American $1 Coin rolls and boxes at noon Eastern Time on Thursday, April 26.
Each roll contains 25 of the dollar coins from either Philadelphia or Denver and is $32.95. That is a $7 savings over last year’s rolls which were $39.95 each. The rolls are wrapped in special Mint wrapping with the year, mint of origin, and face value.
Also available are 250-coin boxes and 500-coin boxes, again from either Philadelphia or Denver, buyer’s choice. The 250-coin box contains 10 rolls of the new dollar and is $275.95. Likewise, the 500-coin box contains 20 of the 25-coin rolls and is priced at $550.95.
The 2012 Native American Dollar reverse design, by Thomas Cleveland, depicts the profiles of a Native American and a horse with horses running in the background. The image symbolizes the historical spread of the horse, which was instrumental during the trade routes in the 17th century and a significant contribution to the development of the nation. Inscriptions include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and $1.
Since 2009, the reverse designs have been changing, per the Native American $1 Coin Act (Public Law 110-82). In previous years, the themes were:
- 2009 Native American $1 Coin: Three Sisters Agriculture
- 2010 Native American $1 Coin: Government — The Great Tree of Peace
- 2011 Native American $1 Coin: Wampanoag Treaty 1621
The obverse design, by Glenna Goodacre, still features Sacagawea and her baby Jean Baptiste, which was first seen in 2000. Inscriptions include LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST.
Edge-lettering on the new coins include 2012, the mint mark and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Order & Production Details
2012 Native American Dollar Coin Rolls and Boxes may be purchased from the U.S. Mint website at:
United States Mint $1 Product page
Or, the products may be ordered using the Mint’s toll-free number, 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing and speech-impaired customers may call 1-888-321-MINT (6468).
Shipping and handling for the rolls is $4.95, as it is for all domestic orders, but there is an additional fee of $7.95 per each 500-coin box due to the extra weight.
The new dollars will not be distributed into circulation for everyday use as they were in the past, so banks will not receive the 2012-dated dollars from Federal Reserve Banks when they order that denomination.
Production of the Native American $1 Coins and Presidential $1 coins for circulation was suspended by the Treasury Department in December because the Reserve Banks had enough surpluses of $1 coins in their vaults to meet demand for at least the next 18 years. Therefore, the U.S. Mint has only been minting enough new dollars to fill collector orders.
Whether an official launch ceremony for the 2012 Native American Dollar coin will take place remains to be seen. Last year’s event was March 25 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, but the United States Mint has not issued a media advisory yet for the 2012 strike.
Anyone seen the 2013, 2014 etc…Native American designs? Wouldn’t SEQUOYAH the great Cherokee holding a table of the alphabet he invented make a great reverse?
Looking at the law the direction was for the reverse to have “images celebrating the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the development of the United States and the history of the United States” though the examples given include ‘‘(I) the creation of Cherokee written language; ‘‘(II) the Iroquois Confederacy; ‘‘(III) Wampanoag Chief Massasoit; ‘‘(IV) the ‘Pueblo Revolt’; ‘‘(V) Olympian Jim Thorpe; which in my extremely limited knowledge (shame on me) don’t seem to follow the aforementioned directive except possibly for Jim Thorpe who I think would be a great topic for a regular commemorative… Read more »
Oh yeah, the Code Talkers..!! Absolutely..!! And if not Sequoyah himself, perhaps a Trail of Tears reverse. After all, 2013 will be the 175th Anniversary of that terrible event.