Quick Coinage Facts
Years Minted: 2009 & On
Mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
Composition: 0.770 copper, 0.120 zinc, .070 manganese, .040 nickel
Diameter: 26.5 mm
Weight: 8.1 grams
Total Mintage: still in production
Edge: Lettered including year, mint mark and E PLURIBUS UNUM
Introduction
“To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in commemoration of Native Americans and the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the development of the United States and the history of the United States, and for other purposes.” Public Law 110-82 (from US Mint site)
The Mint is now producing 5 dollar coins each year, 4 Presidential coins and one Native American Dollar. Public Law 110-82 requires that at least 20% of the dollar coins minted each year are "Native American" dollars. This requirement will continue until the presidiential dollar coin program is complete.
The Obverse continues the ¾ profile portrait of Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian guide, who accompanied Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their Journey of Exploration across North America in 1804-6. In another first for American coinage the portrait on the obverse show Sacagawea carrying Jean Baptiste, her infant son strapped to her back. Six months pregnant when she joined the expedition, Sacagawea gave birth to the boy early in the journey and carried him to the end. The design was submitted and executed by Glenda Goodacre
The Reverse design will be changed on a yearly basis to reflect a scene commemorative of Native American Indians. The designs will be selected to be illustrative of events during the time frame covered by the four presidential dollars issued in that year. The Native American $1 Coin Program designs will be determined to be appropriate by the Secretary of the Treasury after consultation with the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, the House of Representatives Congressional Native American Caucus and the National Congress of American Indians.
The 2009 design is "the three sisters" that illustrates a common Native American agricultural practice of planting three separate crops (Corn, Beans and Squash) in a symbiotic relationship that maximized the yield of each and minimized the amount of labor necessary to maintain the crop.
from the mint web site
