January 2009
MULTITUDE OF NEW U.S. COINS ON TAP FOR
2009
We hope your new year is off to a great start. 2009 will be a year with
change coming to our change. Under legislation previously passed (and
not connected to the 2008 elections), the United States Mint will issue
new designs for four one cent, six quarter and five dollar coins over
the course of the year.
The four circulating penny designs are being issued for the 200th
anniversary of the birth of the nation's 16th President, Abraham
Lincoln. The Lincoln cent itself was first issued 100 years ago at the
centennial of his birth. The new designs commemorate four important
periods in Lincoln's life. According to the Federal
Reserve, the approximate release dates of the four
coins will be
- February 12, 2009:
Birth and early childhood in Kentucky (1809 - 1816)
- May 14, 2009: Formative Years in Indiana (1816 - 1830)
- August 13, 2009: Formative Years in Illinois (1830 - 1861)
- November 12, 2009: Presidency in Washington, D.C.
(1861-1865)
New circulating commemorative
quarter designs will be issued for the
District of Columbia and five U.S. territories: the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, Guam,
American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands. While these quarters will be released into
circulation in approximately two month intervals, beginning with the
D.C. quarter in late January, sets containing proof versions of all six
quarters are already being sold by the U.S. Mint.
Beginning in 2009 the reverse of the Sacagawea dollar, which the Mint
now calls the "Native American $1 Coin", will bear a new design
annually. The reverse
of the 2009 coin commemorates Native American
contributions to agriculture
and features a Native American woman planting corn, beans and squash.
In addition, new Presidential
dollar coins will be issued for the
nation's 9th through 12th chief executives: William Henry Harrison,
John Tyler, James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor, respectively. Under
legislation enacted during 2008, the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" will
appear on the obverse of these coins below the Presidential portrait.
The motto appears on the edge of each of the first eight Presidential
dollars, in accordance with the law that initiated the series.
NON-CIRCULATING COINS FOR 2009
Gold, silver and platinum American Eagle bullion coins are typically
the first U.S. coins to be released each year. Telesphere Numismatics
has uncirculated 2009
silver
eagles in stock (we do not sell gold or platinum eagles).
An intriguing new offering from the Mint is the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin. This
24 karat
gold coin is based on the ultra-high relief Saint-Gaudens
double eagle struck in 1907. As the original coin proved to be
impractical for mass production, only a few were struck before the
relief was significantly reduced. A century later, technological
advances have enabled the Mint to realize Augustus Saint-Gaudens
extraordinary creation. Sales of the
2009 double eagle are scheduled to begin January 22. With just a few
days to go, the
price of the coin has not yet been announced, and it's not clear when
shipments will actually begin.
Two non-circulating commemorative silver
dollars are scheduled for release during 2009. The first is authorized
by Public Law 109-285, the "Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act,"
which also calls for the circulating one cent coins discussed above.
Sales are scheduled to begin February 22 and are limited by law to not
more than 500,000 coins.
The second silver dollar commemorates the 200th anniversary of the
birth of Louis Braille. Braille system of raised dots is used to this
day by the blind to read and write. Sales of the Braille
dollar are
scheduled to begin March 26.
PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS NEW QUARTER BILL
Last month we reported that Congress passed new legislation calling for
another 10 year run of circulating quarters commemorating a National
Park or other national
site in each State, territory and the District of Columbia. America's
Beautiful National
Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008 was signed into law by President
Bush December 23, 2008. The new quarters will be issued at the rate
of five coins per year, beginning in 2010.
CURRENT SPECIAL
Our final free state quarter promotion is underway now through
January
31. One each 2008-P and
2008-D Hawaii quarters
in uncirculated condition will be added at no cost to orders of $45 or
more placed with our
secure online shopping cart. More info about this offer is
available on our Current
Special page.
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Telesphere Numismatics
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