Presidential Dollar Coins Start in 2007

So you have a pile of quarters, one for each state as they come out. Better yet, you have a map with each quarter finding its home it its respective state. Now it is time to start naming the presidents.

The U.S. Mint is going to begin issuing dollar coins featuring deceased presidents beginning Feb. 15, 2007. The first coin will befittingly be George Washington, followed by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison all in 2007. The plan is to issue the dollar coins in the order the presidents held office, at four new coins each year. Two common favorites are Lincoln and Kennedy, due in 2010 and 2015, respectively. If your favorite president was Richard Nixon, you'll have to wait for that one until 2016 as it is currently the last scheduled coin. The reverse side of the coins is the same for each and features the Statue of Liberty.

It is estimated that the government can save $500 Million per year if we switched from dollar bills to coins. But there is resistance to this. First was the Susan B. Anthony coin which was confused with a quarter because of its color and size. The Sacagawea coin was gold colored to differentiate it. More collectors liked the coin than users. The Federal Reserve said earlier this year that they have more than 200 million of these coins on hand which is enough to meet the need for more than three years.

Time will tell if the new coins are embraced by the public more than the collectors. The state quarters end production in 2008.