Final designs for two of the last three Presidential $1 Coins became public Friday when the United States Mint unveiled images of them.
Coins of former presidents have been issued at the rate of four per year since the dollar series kicked off in 2007. The series ends in 2016 with the final three $1s featuring:
- Richard M. Nixon, the 37th President
- Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President
- Ronald Reagan, the 40th President
By law, coins of the series are limited to deceased presidents. That’s why the program ends next year and it’s also why there’s no dollar for Jimmy Carter who served as the 39th President of the United States.
On Friday, the U.S. Mint unveiled images of the designs for the dollars featuring former Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford.
The agency said the design for the 2016 Ronald Reagan Presidential $1 Coin will be announced on Feb. 6, 2016, the 105th anniversary of President Reagan’s birth. (See Reagan $1 design candidates.)
Also, stay tuned to CoinNews. Next week we’ll present some photos of Ford and Nixon proof dollars and the dies used to make them. They were taken during our recent trip to the U.S. Mint in San Francisco.
Update: See Nixon $1 photos and Ford $1 photos.
2016 Ford and Nixon Presidential $1 Coin Designs
Presidential portraits for Ford and Nixon dollars were selected from among 8 design candidates. The candidates were review by several parties with recommendations made by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and the United States Commission of Fine Arts (CFA). The Treasury Secretary was tasked with making the final selections.
Below is designer information and larger U.S. Mint images of the two dollars.
Richard M. Nixon Presidential $1 Coin
Gerald R. Ford Presidential $1 Coin
Common Reverses
Reverses of Presidential $1 Coins share Don Everhart’s depiction of the Statue of Liberty. The dollars also have common edge inscription that include their year of issuance, the production facility’s mint mark, and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Availability
As directed by the Treasury Secretary on Dec. 13, 2011, the U.S. Mint ended production of dollar coins for circulation. The Mint makes them now only for coin collectors.
Products with Presidential $1 Coins launch in staggered intervals throughout a year. Some specific release dates should become public by late December.
Next year Presidents Nixon & Ford will not be featured on Coins & Chronicles Sets.
However President Reagan will be featured on his own 2016 Coins & Chronicles Set.
Does anyone know if the Mint will issue Carter and or Bush (41) coins next year if either passed away in 2016. Neither of them are in good health any longer. Not to sound grim, but it is reality.
The presidents must be dead at least two years to be on the presidential dollar coins. Therefore Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush would not be eligible for next year 2016 presidential dollars.
Really if the coins didnt have names on them i would have no idea who they are
William,
I think Ford looks like Ford, can’t say the same about Nixon.
President Nixon is identifiable by his ski-slope nose.
No word yet on the quantity of the mintage?. . No reverse proof this Time??
I’ll stick with my Shell Oil Presidential tokens from the 60’s. Those are all excellent likenesses of all former presidents through Nixon. The mint should have just sought out the sculptures that were used for those. I believe they were produced by the Franklin Mint. Much better than any of the images on the $1 coins.
Thanks for the info Dwight. Can we assume this series will go on in possibly 2 years? Or has the Mint just figured ending this series of coinage especially since it no longer produces any for the public?
Folks I agree, some of these coins are less than stellar. I personally think the Kennedy coin was the WORST I have ever seen. I think the Gerald Ford coin looks good, but the Nixon one needs some attention also. Just my opinion.
I agree the Kennedy coin wasn’t particularly attractive, but it’s based on a photo. Reportedly the family supported the image because it showed him in a contemplative mood.
As for the Nixon coin, the portrait (although not the lettering) bears a modest resemblance to the mock “Nixon dollars” that were used in the alternate US of the sci-fi show “Fringe”. Ya gotta wonder …
The Presidential Dollar Coin Program ends next year with Ronald Reagan. In on order to continue the program, it will require another Act of Congress. In regards to the obverse of the JFK dollar coin, please compare it to the highly regarded 2013 Ireland JFK 20€ commemorative coin @ http://news.coinupdate.com/official-launch-of-irelands-john-f-kennedy-memorial-coins-2046/
@Jp
For me one of the worst looking or the worst looking is the FDR dollar …. he looks like Rumsfeld ..what kind of “artistry” exists at the US Mint ? Slim to none IMO
Another pair of poor likenesses.
I would not have recognized Ford’s portrait without his name above him on the coin.
Nixon’s image on this coin looks cartoonish, but so was he. Ford’s image on this coin reminds me of those paintings in old movies where the person’s eyes follow you as you walk around the room. With these two presidents we have two firsts – Nixon was the first and only USA president to resign while in office & Ford was the only president who was never elected to the office of the U.S. presidency. These would make a good special 2-coin set with a booklet about the history of Watergate & it’s ramifications. The Mint should have depicted Nixon… Read more »
@Seth
Thanks for your post! As someone with an interest in numismatic history and research I appreciate the background you’ve provided.
Munzen – Thank you for your comment about my post. As a fellow numismatist, i am very interested in history & research involving coins, medallions, tokens & banknotes. If you have any stories to tell on the subject i would enjoy sharing insights with you. I like your German posting name – Munzen, as you know it means “money” or “coins” & “Geld” also is used for the word “coin” I lived in Germany for 3 years & German is my second language. Do you have a connection to Germany? Good luck in your numismatic pursuits Munzen. I look forward… Read more »
Die Familie meiner Frau stammt aus Sachsen , aber sie war in den Vereinigten Staaten geboren. Unsere Tochter wohnte in Berlin und spricht fließend Deutsch . Leider ist mein Deutsch schwächer. Ich lernte es als Student , größtenteils um mathematische Forschungsberichte zu lesen.
Guten Morgen Munzen –
Ich habe fur drei jahre auf der kleine USA NSA base Bad Aibling Kaserne gewohnt und hat zur Munchen Amerikanische Hoch Schule gegangen. Ich habe viel spass auf Deutschland gemacht!
Guten Tag Munzen
-NumisDudeTX
All I can say is “praise be!” that this series ends next year. Crappy coins, crappy designs, crappy forward-looking values. I have 17 folders of these for my grandchildren – big, big mistake!
Not a fan of Tricky Dick, but I dont think they could make him look worse or sleezier….I thought LBJ was bad, this is silly, & Ford, isn’t that the Hoover coin with a little engraving switch when a guy had a beer, or a bhong hit?
I find it rather interesting that the Nixon dollar has his profile from the side, as in a mug shot. Perhaps if he had his booking number held up under his portrait or even some vertical jail bars that would be even more fitting. Heh. While I’m at it, they could even stamp his famous quote about, “I’m not a Crook” embedded in the design too. Haha. Sorry guys I couldn’t resist, I never forgave him for taking the US off the gold standard back in 71 which started off all this insane credit/debt nightmare. Just my 2 cents!