Expert: Ronald Fern - 9/22/2010

Question
I have a sacagawea gold dollar that has no date on it, and the picture on the back is of her bending over looks like she's touching grain. On back it says "United states of america $1" On the front her usual picture,the word LIBERTY and on the left In God We Trust. That is ALL that's printe on this coin. Is it worth something, rare, or just a dollar coin I haven't noticed before?

Answer
Hi Tammy:

Thanks for your question.

Your coin is not rare. From Wikipedia: "Sacagawea dollars began being minted in 2000 in accordance with the United States $1 Coin Act of 1997. These coins were made to replace the unpopular Susan B. Anthony dollar coins which were often confused with quarters because of their similar size, similar reeded edge, and identical color. To remedy this problem, Sacagawea dollars were given a smooth outside edge (similar to the Nickel) and distinctive gold color which made it the only gold-colored coin in the United States that was circulating at the time.

The dollar is nearly identical in color, size, and thickness, but not shape, to the Canadian $1 loonie coin, first minted in 1987.

With the passage of the Native American $1 Coin Act on September 20, 2007, the U.S. Mint began designing a series of Sacagawea dollars with modified reverses to further commemorate "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." Four designs were to be minted, each for one year from 2009 to 2012. The first Native American series coin was released in January 2009 and had a reverse that depicted a Native American woman sowing seeds of the Three Sisters, symbolizing the Indian tribes' contributions to agriculture.

Like the Presidential Dollar, the year of issue, mint mark, and motto E Pluribus Unum are found on the edge of the coin instead of on the obverse or reverse, which allows for more room for the design. Unlike the Presidential $1 coins from before 2009, "In God We Trust" remains on the obverse and the vacant space on the edge lettering has been taken up by thirteen stars, symbolizing the Thirteen Colonies. The act passed by Congress requires that 20% of the total dollar coins minted in any year during the Presidential $1 Coin Program be Sacagawea dollars bearing the new design."

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Thanks again, and continued Good Luck in your collecting.