Original Sacagawea Dollar Coin Ranks at the Top

Sacagawea Dollar Coin

Recently, I received my 2011 Silver Proof Set in the mail from the U.S. Mint and while looking over all the coins, I realized how much I liked the Sacagawea dollar above all the others.

Maybe the reason I prefer the Sacagawea dollar coin to all the other circulating coins is that it's the only coin I can think of with a baby on the obverse. How can you not like a baby?

I definitely think part of it is the fact that it doesn't portray a former President (I've always wished we'd go back to displaying Miss Liberty). Whatever it is, I definitely prefer the Sacagawea design to all the new Presidential dollars.

2000-2008 Reverse

Then I flipped the set over to look at the reverses. When I first saw the new 2011 Peace Pipe reverse, I realizee how much I preferred the original design showing an eagle in flight.

Although I'm sure many of you will disagree, I personally think the original Sacagawea dollar coin has the best design of any modern U.S. coin minted since the mid-20th century.

So what's the future for Sacagawea dollars?

With all the attention lately devoted to Presidential dollars, it seems the Sacagawea dollar coin has been relegated to nothing more than an after-thought. Not that it was ever very successful to begin with having to compete with the dollar bill. But it does seem to have a future beyond Presidential dollars.

2009 Reverse

When the Presidential dollar legislation was passed in 2005, a provision was put in that the Sacagawea dollar not only had to continue to be minted, but it also would get a new reverse design ever year until the Presidential dollar program ended. However, once the Presidential dollar program has ended, the Sacagawea dollar is slated to continue on into the future.

Originally one-third of all dollar coins produced each year were supposed to be Sacagawea coins. However, new legislation in 2007 lowered that requirement to one-fifth. With less demand for the coins than even the Presidential dollars, these coins must be piling up considerably in government storage even with the smaller mintage totals.

2010 Reverse

Fortunately, for those like me who like the Sacagawea dollar, there is a program by the U.S. Mint that is designed "to make $1 coins readily available to the public, at no additional cost, so they can be easily introduced into circulation."

Through the U.S. Mint's Direct Shipment Program, you can order rolls of Sacagawea dollars (or select Presidential dollars) at face value with free shipping. Not only are the 2009 and 2010 reverse designs available, but they've recently pulled many 2001 rolls with the original flying eagle reverse design out of storage.

2011 Reverse

So if you like the Sacagawea dollar coin like I do, order some rolls from the U.S. Mint and help start getting them into circulation. I believe it's only a matter of time before the dollar bill gets discontinued so we might as well get used to a dollar coin in our pockets now.