2016-07-20 Wed

The first four Presidential dollar designs were released in 2007 after the Sacagawea dollar was issued. In 2011, the production of the Presidential dollar coins was stopped and was released only for collectors.

The Ronald W. Reagan $1 coin is the last of the three 2016 issues and the 39th and final issue of the 39-issue series. Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States who started off working in a local radio station as a sports announcer after which he became a successful Hollywood actor. He was a member of the Democratic Party and stood for liberal causes. He was an anti-communist who worked towards rooting out communism in Hollywood.

He became a popular politician with the support of Barry Goldwater in 1964. He became governor of California in 1966 and contested for presidential elections in 1968. He was re-elected governor in 1970 and ran for president again in 1976 which he won. Reagan served two terms in office as President between 1981 and 1989.

The obverse of the coin features the smiling portrait of the president which was designed by Richard Masters, whose initials “RAM” appears along with Joseph Menna’s initials “JFM” who engraved the design. Other inscriptions include ‘RONALD REAGAN’, ‘IN GOD WE TRUST’, ‘40th PRESIDENT’ and the years of his two terms in office.

The common reverse design features the Statue of Liberty. A thin inner circle separates the graphic design from the inscription ‘UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’. The denomination $1 is also inscribed on the coin. The edge of the coin is smooth, and features edge lettering like the phrase E PLURIBUS UNUM, the date 2016 and the mint mark (P or D for Uncirculated strikes, S for Proofs).