“In God We Trust” will appear on the obverse of Presidential dollars for the first time in 2009. Four of the coins will be released next year.
This follows an outcry against so-called “Godless” dollars in 2007 by Americans who did not know the national motto appears on the edge of Presidential dollars and subsequent congressional action to mandate the relocation of the motto to the obverse of the coin. The nearly two-year change process will finally conclude when the William Henry Harrison dollar is released early next year.
The Mint released Oct. 8 the final design sketches for the Harrison coin and the other three Presidential dollars.
Harrison was the nation’s ninth President and “In God We Trust” appears to the left of an obverse inscription noting this under his bust.
Remaining on the edge is the date, mintmark and “E Pluribus Unum” motto. The only dates on the obverse indicate when the President served in office.
The Mint is reworking the edge. Single delimiter dots between edge inscriptions on 2007 and 2008 coins will be replaced by three stars between “E Pluribus Unum” and the mintmark and 10 stars between the 2008 date and “E Pluribus Unum” for a total of 13 stars, the number of the original states.
Harrison was a military hero who died shortly after he was inaugurated in 1841.
John Tyler, his vice president, finished the term. He is the Tyler in the famous “Tippicanoe and Tyler too” campaign slogan.
James K. Polk was President during the annexation of Texas in 1845 and the Mexican War 1846-1848.
Zachary Taylor, another President who died in 1850 during his term of office, will round out their number.
Designers of the Harrison and Tyler coins, respectively, are Joseph Menna, and Phebe Hemphill. The Polk coin was designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Charles Vickers. The Taylor coin was done by Don Everhart.
