Today, Feb. 5, the U.S. Mint released the first of the 2015 Presidential $1 Coins. Honoring Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States who served from 1945 to 1953, the coin is now available in rolls, bags and boxes at prices ranging from $32.95 to $275.95.
Every year the Mint issues four dollars as a part of the Presidential $1 Coin program. The next three will commemorate Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson.
Harry S. Truman Presidential $1 Coin Designs
Designed and sculpted by Don Everhart, obverse or heads sides of this new coin depict a likeness of the former president surrounded by the inscriptions, "HARRY S. TRUMAN," "IN GOD WE TRUST," "33rd PRESIDENT" and "1945 – 1953."
Reverses, which are common among all Presidential $1 Coins, feature Don Everhart’s rendition of the Statue of Liberty. Inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "$1" for the denomination or face value.
Also common to Presidential $1 Coins, as well as Native American $1 Coins, are inscriptions incused around the edges that show:
- the year of minting,
- the mint mark for the U.S. Mint facility where it was struck — ‘P’ for the Philadelphia Mint and ‘D’ for the Denver Mint, and
- E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Edge inscriptions will vary in location on these circulating-quality strikes, unlike the collectible proof versions that are issued in annual sets.
U.S. Mint dollar coin specifications include a manganese-brass composition of 88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese and 2% nickel. Each coin weighs 8.1 grams, has a diameter of 26.49 mm, or 1.043 inches, and a thickness of 2.0 mm.
25-Coin Rolls, 100-coin Bags and 250-Coin Boxes
Truman Presidential dollars are available in roll, bag and box options and buyers have the choice of where they were produced — from U.S. Mint facilities in either Denver or Philadelphia. Here’s a handy chart that shows all the product options and their prices:
| PRODUCT OPTION | PRICE |
| Presidential $1 Coin 25-Coin Roll – P | $32.95 |
| Presidential $1 Coin 25-Coin Roll – D | $32.95 |
| Presidential $1 Coin 250-Coin Bag – P | $275.95 |
| Presidential $1 Coin 250-Coin Bag – D | $275.95 |
| Presidential $1 Coin 100-Coin Box – P | $111.95 |
| Presidential $1 Coin 100-Coin Box – D | $111.95 |
Product packaging displays the President’s name, the mint of origin ("P" or "D"), and the face value of the contents. Also, keep in mind that these numismatic products are rolled by a mechanical process so a coin’s heads or tails side may be visible.
Ordering Presidential $1 Coins in Rolls, Bags and Boxes
These numismatic products may be ordered by going to the United States Mint’s website at www.usmint.gov with a link to its $1 coins here. Telephone orders are accepted at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Also, hearing- and speech-impaired customers may place orders by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468).
There are no ordering limits on any of the rolls, bags or boxes. Collector demand will decide how many are produced since dollars coins are no longer made and distributed for circulation. That has been the case since 2012.
Brief Truman Biography
President Harry S. Truman was born May 8, 1884. Harry’s parents gave him the middle initial "S" as both of their fathers had names beginning with the letter. Harry’s middle initial, however, does not stand for anything.
At the age of 6, Harry and his family moved to Independence, Missouri. Truman did not attend a formal school until he was 8 years old, and he’s the most recent U.S. president who had not earned a college degree. He did spend one semester in business school after high school and he also later took some night courses toward a law degree.
Truman was in the Missouri Army National Guard from 1905 until 1911. He rejoined for WWI and served in Europe with distinction, earning the rank of captain. Shortly after the war, Harry married Beth Wallace on June 28, 1919.
In 1934, Truman was elected as the U.S. Senator from the state of Missouri after serving as a county judge. He became Vice President under FDR on Jan. 20, 1945.
After President Roosevelt’s death on April 12, 1945, Truman was sent a message to go to the White House. He assumed he would meet the President, but was told by Mrs. Roosevelt that her husband had died. His concern was for Eleanor, asking what he could do for her.
Her response was, "Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now."
Truman is remembered for a number of things, perhaps the biggest item being his approval for the use of the atomic bomb to help end to WWII.
Truman was very unpopular by the end of his first term, with many thinking there was no chance he could win reelection in 1948. He won in a stunning fashion, exemplified by the famous photograph showing him holding a Chicago Tribune newspaper with a headline that he lost.
On Dec. 26, 1972, Truman died of pneumonia in a Kansas City Hospital. He and Bess are both buried at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence.
