Coin collectors can rest easy. President Bush on Friday signed into law a bill that will continue the minting of $1 Sacagawea coins in 2008, but only for numismatic purposes. No more will be produced for general circulation until next year.

The legislation whizzed through Congress this week, as lawmakers scrambled to correct an error in a law enacted last year that calls for circulating new Sacagawea coins starting in January 2009 that will feature a regularly changing reverse celebrating different Native American themes.

In drafting that law, the sponsors forgot to allow continued production of the existing coin in 2008, however. That meant that “many of the standard U.S. Mint products the coin-collecting public is expecting to order and receive this year, such as annual proof and uncirculated sets, will not include a 2008 Sacagawea dollar,” warned Rep. Gwen Moore , D-Wis., in explaining the need for the new bill. Read Full Article