The Ronald Reagan Presidential Dollar (Buy on eBay) represented the final regular issue of the Presidential $1 Coin Program. The series spanned ten years and thirty-nine individual issues honoring the former deceased Presidents of the United States of America.
Leading up to the release, there was uncertainty about honoring Ronald Reagan in the series. The legislation requires a President to be deceased for at least two years and honored in order of their service. Reagan met the first requirement, but honoring him might have disrupted the order since President Carter would be skipped. The uncertainty ended in 2015 when the United States Mint presented eight design candidates for the Reagan Presidential Dollar to the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) for review.
The United States Mint eventually revealed the final design selection on February 6, 2016, during the annual birthday celebration at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library. Both the CFA and CCAC supported the obverse design, which showcases a front-facing portrait of the former President. Richard Masters designed it, and Joseph Menna sculpted it. The surrounding inscriptions read “RONALD REAGAN,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “40th PRESIDENT,” and “1981-1989.”
The reverse of the coin, which was designed by Don Everhart, features an image of the Statue of Liberty intended to represent the concept of Liberty. The inscriptions include “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and the denomination “$1.” The edge of the coin includes incused lettering with the date, mint mark, and motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
The United States Mint offered circulation strike versions of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Dollar within numismatic bags and rolls starting on July 1, 2016. The coins were available in 25-coin rolls, 250-coin boxes, and 100-coin bags from either the Philadelphia or Denver Mint facilities. The canvas bags or paper wrappers for the rolls were clearly marked with the name of the President, mint mark, and face value of the contents. Following the Treasury Department decision of late 2011, the coins were not released for general circulation.
In addition to circulation strike versions, the United States Mint also produced a Proof version of the coin struck at the San Francisco Mint and carrying the “S” mint mark. This coin was included within the 2016 Proof Set, 2016 Silver Proof Set, and 2016 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set.
On October 11, 2016, the Mint offered the 2016 Ronald Reagan Coin and Chronicles Set. This product included one reverse proof Reagan Presidential Dollar struck at the San Francisco Mint, one 2016 Proof American Silver Eagle, one Ronald and Nancy Reagan Congressional Medal struck in bronze, an engraved portrait produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and an informational booklet. The product was limited to 150,000 units and priced at $68.95.
Additional numismatic products containing the Reagan Dollar included the 2016 Presidential $1 Coin Uncirculated Set, 2016 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set, 2016 Presidential Dollar Circulating Three Coin Set, Ronald Reagan $1 Coin Cover, and the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Bronze Medal Set.
Coin Specifications:
- Denomination: $1.00
- Composition: 88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel
- Diameter: 26.5 mm
- Weight: 8.1g
- Thickness: 2.0 mm
- Edge: lettered
Coin Mintages:
- Philadelphia: 7,140,000
- Denver: 5,880,000
- San Francisco (Proof): 1,196,582
- San Francisco (Reverse Proof): 47,447
Other 2016 Presidential Dollars:
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