The United States Mint will soon introduce the first $1 coin in a multi-year program honoring American innovation and innovators.
On Dec. 14, the U.S. Mint will release an individual proof and rolls and bags of uncirculated 2018 American Innovation dollars.
Product pricing so far ranges from $32.95 for a 25-coin roll to $111.95 for a 100-coin bag with options of dollars from the Denver and Philadelphia Mints. The $1 coin in proof quality, which features frosted designs against mirror-like backgrounds, comes from the San Francisco Mint. Its pricing is unavailable as of this writing.
Update: The price for the proof dollar is $6.95.
The U.S. Mint has yet to unveil finalized designs or images of the Innovation dollar. In September, candidate designs were reviewed by the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). The pair of panels liked the same design for the obverse but preferred different reverses. It appears that the Treasury Secretary went with the CCAC’s recommendations.
The obverse design will be shared across every dollar in the series. As described by the Mint, it features a representation of the Statue of Liberty in profile with the inscriptions "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "$1."
Reverses change for each innovation or innovator honored. Because it introduces the new program, the reverse for the 2018 dollar features a representation of the signature of President George Washington on the first U.S. patent. Inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "AMERICAN INNOVATORS," and "SIGNED FIRST PATENT." Stylized gears at the top represent industry and innovation.
Edges of all $1 coins are incused with their year of minting, a mint mark, and "E PLURIBUS UNUM."
The American Innovation $1 Coin Program is a 15-year series honoring innovation or innovators in each State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands. Going forward from 2018, they will be released at a rate of four per year. Next year’s designs will celebrate American innovation/innovators from Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
These and other upcoming issues will be released alongside the series of Native American $1 Coins which showcases an annually changing design that celebrates the important contributions made by Indian tribes or individuals.
Dollar coins have not been released into circulation since 2011. The U.S. Mint produces them in collector finishes solely for its numismatic products.
As much as I love collecting coins, this is RIDICULOUS! As if the millions sitting in the warehouses weren’t enough and what it costs to store them. Now they want to mint 2 different dollar series each year??? This is just a big way to make more profits from us collectors… Yes, I’ll be purchasing the proofs for sure, but that’s beside the point.
If I lived in Canada, their $1 and $2 bills are no longer produced. Rather, I would
have to handle $1 and $2 coins. Canada got it right when they quit producing paper
money; forcing citizens to use coins instead. I fail to understand why the United
States won’t follow Canada’s lead along with other nations as well.
If the US stubbornly continues to issue low denomination paper money, use the invention design on paper money not unneeded dollar coins. Edge printing is useless to most collectors. What use is the mint mark and date except to make a coin more collectable? Also the US should follow Canada’s lead and stop making cents. From a collectors point of view that would not make me happy but maybe the mint would do something good for collectors as opposed to investors.
spent enough on presidential dollars. Don’t need these, and neither does the country. just plain stupid.
Mike, Thanks for the timely update…
More overpriced so called coins. Will not be buying. Matter of fact, I stopped buying all of their overpriced stuff.
Another collection of paperweights….. really the Prez $1 faded @ the end this is a bust…….
I don’t get.
Rather than making a useless $1 coin that no one much cares to collect, or will ever use, why not make this series in Silver coins?
I think there would be much more interest. I know I would be interested in this.
There needs to be a distinction between collectors and investors. Children are basically collectors and adults are often investors I’ll call them COLLECTORS. Collectors are pleased to have items that are valuable but are happy to have items that are different are reasonably priced. The emphasis on value and investing has led to the reduction in collectors. Value is not necessarily a bad thing for collectors, they look for rarities but are happy with variety. Your point, “Silver” provides variety and value but only if you pay a premium to start with, that is not what collectors want. It would… Read more »
Robert F Davenport Jr- Really good thoughts and points taken. I understand/and agree with most all of what you said, except this,” Making more $1 coins is useless under current conditions. They are being made for investors not collectors”. I agree those $1 coins are useless under current conditions, but I don’t think they are being made for investors. With no limits on mintage or high mintage, a coin that will not be circulated, little to no desire from the public, and also no real “Metal value”, be it gold or silver, I don’t think investors have any interest in… Read more »
I might agree that the investors have little interest in the series. Consider that a collector is interested in the series and he pays an estimated $37 for 25 coins. He has paid $13 for the privilege of collecting one coin, which is really all he wants. He may consider keeping six, one for each grandchild for $3 per coin, after spending the other nineteen. If he becomes an investor he can try to sell the nineteen on Ebay for $2 each. The point being that a collector wanting only a few coins will either become an investor hoping to… Read more »
What a really, really LAZY & incomplete obverse! Did the WW1 Arteest come up with this drek as well? Who is the market & why, and the back is aas crowded as a subway car @ 5:15pm & the front looks like Yul Brenner’s head…..
The other proposed designs were worse.
That’s a scary thought!
Looks like uncirculated specimens cannot be bought individually either. This series is stupid and pointless
A total waste, completely uncalled for.
I agree we should follow Canada’s lead and stop printing $1 bills. But my biggest objection to this particular coin is what a dumb subject it is. Whose idea was this anyway?
I don’t see a problem with the New Dollar. MINT works on a Budget, and making up for the loss of the penny must be enormous. So they come up with a New Design for a Dollar for Collectors. Either buy it and add it to your collection or don’t, its not that big of a deal. I bought three Rolls of each and 10 of the Proofs. I don’t see a need to cry or whine about it. The P & D sets are already on EBAY if you just want one of each. By the way, I don’t… Read more »