Thursday, August 16, 2012, the United States Mint released Benjamin Harrison Presidential dollars in several coin collecting products.
Benjamin Harrison Presidential $1 Coin
Circulating quality Harrison Presidential dollars are available in rolls, bags and boxes directly from the U.S. Mint. Below is a list of the options and their prices.
- 25-coin rolls for $32.95,
- 100-coin bags for $111.95,
- 250-coin boxes for $275.95 and
- 500-coin boxes for $550.95
Collectors have the choice of origin for the coins being offered, which is either Philadelphia or Denver. The dollars will show the corresponding "P" or "D" mint mark on them.
Order Details
Orders for the new coin collecting products are accepted at the U.S. Mint’s Web site, http://www.usmint.gov/catalog, and by phone, at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). A $4.95 shipping and handling fee applies to all domestic orders, but the the 500-coin boxes have an additional shipping charge of $7.95 due to their weight.
Benjamin Harrison Presidential dollars are also available via the United States Mint Online Subscription Program. Two-roll sets, having a face value of $50, are $65.90 plus shipping and handling through the program. One roll of coins is from the U.S. Mint facility in Philadelphia and the other roll is from the U.S. Mint facility in Denver.
About Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was born on August 20, 1833, and he was the grandson of William Henry Harrison, the ninth President of the United States.
Benjamin became a lawyer who was later known for conducting a successful "front-porch" political campaign in Indianapolis. Following the Civil War, where he was Colonel of the 70th Volunteer Infantry, he ran for and won a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Later, he ran for the Presidency and beat incumbent Grover Cleveland in the 1888 election. Benjamin Harrison Presidential $1 Coins honor his service and represents the Presidential $1 Coin Program’s 23rd issue. It is the third one dated 2012.
Designs of Presidential Dollars
A portrait of Benjamin Harrison graces the obverse of the new Presidential dollars. The portrait was designed by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill. It is surrounded by inscriptions of "BENJAMIN HARRISON," "23rd PRESIDENT," "1889-1893" and "IN GOD WE TRUST."
The reverse features Don Everhart’s striking rendition of the Statue of Liberty, along with the inscriptions, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "$1." Edge inscriptions include "2012," "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and the mint of origin.
Besides the rotating Presidential portraits, the $1 coins have changed somewhat during the program. 2007-2008 Presidential dollars featured more edge-incused inscriptions, which were the year of issuance, "E PLURIBUS UNUM," "IN GOD WE TRUST" and the mint mark. In 2009, the inscription, "IN GOD WE TRUST," moved to the obverse and has remained there on present Presidential $1 coins.
U.S. Mint Harrison coin rolls sport the traditional coin collector packaging — they are wrapped in special black and white paper and imprinted with the Mint of origin ("P" or "D"), "Presidential $1 Coin," the president’s name and "$25" for the face value of the contents. As mentioned earlier, the rolls are sold individually, but collectors can also buy 10 rolls which ship in the 250-coin boxes or 20 rolls in the 500-coin boxes. Only in the bags of 100 are the coins loose.
Dollars for Coin Collecting Products, Not Minted for Circulation
Benjamin Harrison Presidential dollars are produced solely for coin collectors and will not enter general circulation as 2011-dated and earlier issues did. Federal Reserve releases are a thing of the past for $1 coins. A suspension, ordered by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner, was enacted to comply with the Campaign to Cut Government Waste. Millions of older Presidential $1 coins sit unused in stockpiles in Federal Reserve vaults. Reasons vary, but some may be contributed to consumers preferring paper currency and legislation requiring certain production amounts.
This year the Mint will release one more 2012 Presidential dollar, recognizing Grover Cleveland’s second term. Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms, because Benjamin Harrison beat Cleveland in the 1888 by winning the electoral vote 233 to 168. Cleveland eventually beat Harrison when he ran for re-election in 1892.
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