Eisenhower Centennial silver dollar

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Eisenhower Centennial dollar
United States
Value1 U.S. Dollar
Mass26.73 g
Diameter38.1 mm (1.500 in)
Thickness2.58 mm
EdgeReeded
Composition90% Ag
10% Cu
Years of minting1990
Mintage1,144,461 Uncirculated 241,669 Proof
Mint marks P, W. Under LIBERTY on the obverse.
Obverse
1990 Eisenhower Silver $1 Obverse.jpg
Design Dwight D. Eisenhower as a general facing left and Eisenhower as President facing right
Designer John Mercanti
Design date1990
Reverse
1990 Eisenhower Silver $1 Reverse.jpg
Design Eisenhower's home
Designer Marcel Jovine
Design date1990

The Eisenhower Commemorative silver dollar is a United States commemorative coin issued by the United States Mint in 1990 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the president and general Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Contents

Legislation

H.R. 3654, titled the "Dwight David Eisenhower Commemorative Coin Act of 1987," was introduced in the House of Representatives by William Goodling of Pennsylvania on November 18, 1987. [1] The bill allowed the United States Mint to strike up to 10 million silver dollars commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1990. The bill also stated a $9 surcharge on sales of the coin were to be used to reduce the national debt and that both the proof and uncirculated varieties were to be minted at one mint facility. [1] The bill was sent to the House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs. [2] A similar bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator John Heinz on December 19 but received no further attention. [3]

As progress stalled on the bill, Senator Bob Dole added an amendment to a bill in the Senate authorizing the Congressional Bicentennial commemorative coins. The amendment authorized a coin commemorating the 100th anniversary of Eisenhower's birth, with a maximum mintage of 10 million. The Senate approved that bill with amendments by unanimous consent on June 15, 1988. [4] However, the House approved the bill without the amendment, as the amendment lacked enough sponsors under House rules. [1] Goodling expressed disappointment that the amendment was not approved, and asked Frank Annunzio of Illinois, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Coinage, to consider his bill, H.R. 3654. [1] [5] The Senate approved the Congressional Bicentennial coins bill on July 12 without the amendment for the Eisenhower coin. [6]

The Subcommittee discussed H.R. 3654 during a hearing on September 14. Annunzio commended Goodling for getting 251 sponsors on the bill, which received unanimous support from the subcommittee members, alongside Senator Dole and Representative Pat Roberts of Kansas. At the hearing, Mint Director Donna Pope raised concerns that the Mint would be unable to sell 10 million coins, and suggested that the mintage be lowered to 4 million and the surcharge be lowered from $9 to $7 to meet sales expectations. [1] Pope also wanted the provision that only one mint facility be used changed as well, as the mint presently only struck proof coins at the San Francisco Mint and planned on striking the uncirculated coins at the Philadelphia Mint. The subcommittee amended the bill with all of Pope's suggestions. Later, still on September 14, Dole introduced S. 2789, titled the "Dwight David Eisenhower Commemorative Coin Act of 1988," in the Senate which included Pope's suggestions as well. [1] [7] The Senate bill passed the same day. [7]

The House passed H.R. 3654 by voice vote on September 16 after agreeing to Annunzio's amendment, yet the bill was tabled. Instead, since the Senate had just approved the similar bill S. 2789, Annunzio asked the House to pass the Senate bill, which it did, also by voice vote. [8] President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law (Pub. L.   100–467) on October 3, 1988. [9] [10]

Design

The obverse was designed by John Mercanti which shows Eisenhower as a president superimposed on Eisenhower the general. The dual portrait symbolizes both his military service and peacetime leadership. This is the only U.S. coin to feature two portraits of the same person on the same side of one coin. The reverse side of the coin was designed by Marcel Jovine and depicts the Eisenhower Home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. [11] [12]

Production and distribution

The coin is the first American silver coin to be minted at the West Point Mint.

The Eisenhower Commemorative Dollar was offered in both proof and uncirculated models with authorized mintage capped at 4 million coins. Although 4 million coins were authorized, sales were slower than originally projected and approximately 1.39 million coins were sold. [10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 United States Congress House Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Coinage (1988). Dwight David Eisenhower Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 3654): Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Coinage of the Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, Second Session, on H.R. 3654 ... September 14, 1988. U.S. Government Printing Office.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "House – November 18, 1987" (PDF). Congressional Record . 133 (23). U.S. Government Printing Office: 32683.
  3. ↑ "Dwight David Eisenhower Commemorative Coin Act of 1987 (1987 - S. 1982)" . Retrieved 2025-11-01.
  4. ↑ "Senate – June 15, 1988" (PDF). Congressional Record. 134 (10). U.S. Government Printing Office]]: 14565.
  5. ↑ "House – June 23, 1988" (PDF). Congressional Record. 134 (11). U.S. Government Printing Office: 15866–15870.
  6. ↑ "Senate – July 12, 1988" (PDF). Congressional Record. 134 (12). U.S. Government Printing Office: 17733.
  7. 1 2 "Senate – September 14, 1988" (PDF). Congressional Record. 134 (16). U.S. Government Printing Office: 24252–24254.
  8. ↑ "House – September 16, 1988" (PDF). Congressional Record. 134 (17). U.S. Government Printing Office: 23774–23775.
  9. ↑ "Dwight David Eisenhower Commemorative Coin Act of 1988 (1988 - S. 2789)" . Retrieved 2025-11-01.
  10. 1 2 Bowers, Q. David (November 2016). A Guide Book of United States Commemorative Coins (2nd ed.). Whitman Publishing. pp. 172–173. ISBN   978-0-7948-4419-6.
  11. ↑ Swiatek, Anthony (2012). Encyclopedia of the Commemorative Coins of the United States. Chicago: KWS Publishers. pp. 484–485. ISBN   978-0-9817736-7-4.
  12. ↑ Bowers, Q. David (1991). Commemorative Coins of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia. Bowers and Merena Galleries. pp. 553–560. ISBN   0-943161-36-3.
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