United States dollar coins

Small dollar coins of non-precious metal have had a rocky history of introduction in the United States.

Susan B. Anthony

The front shows Susan B. Anthony. The obverse shows an American bald eagle flying over the Moon, carrying an olive branch with the Earth overhead. The coin is a silver color with a serrated edge.

Sacagawea

The front shows Sacagawea. The obverse shows an American bald eagle in flight. The coin is a gold color with a smooth edge.

Presidential

The Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, signed into law by George W. Bush, introduced new dollar coins depicting the images of Presidents Of The United States. The first coin in this series was issued in 2007 and shows the image of George Washington, the first President of the United States of America. The obverse shows the Statue of Liberty. The coin is a gold color with a smooth edge that is struck with an inscription using a special machine.

Controversy

The Presidential series differs from all current U.S. coinage in this essential respect: there is no "In God We Trust" on the front or back of the coin. Instead, the motto "In God We Trust" is engraved on the tiny edge of the coin (approximately 1/16th of an inch high) where it is barely visible. The enlarged drawing of the edge inscription from the U.S. Mint makes it look more readable than it actually is:

In comparison the lettering "In God We Trust" was printed clearly on the face of the last two dollar coins, the Sacagawea and the Susan B. Anthony:

In March of 2007 it transpired that an unknown number of the coins produced at the Philadelphia mint were misstruck, and lack the edge inscription. Sabotage has been alleged^{[Citation Needed]}. Coin collectors speculate that of the 300 million produced, about 50,000 may have been misstruck. As with all misstruck coins, these have become collectors' items and are currently selling for about $50 each online.