By David Ganz for Numismatic News

The U.S. Treasury will issue $1 Sacagewea coins in 2009 and beyond with reverse images commemorating the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the development of the United States and American history.

President Bush signed H.R. 2358 on Sept. 20, the last day before the bill would have become law without it.

Public Law 110-83 is also known as the Native American $1 Coin Act. Effective beginning Jan. 1, 2009, the following design requirements are applicable to the Sacagawea dollar coins:

The design on the reverse shall bear images celebrating 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; the inscription “$1”; and the inscription “United States of America.”

WASHINGTON — A plan to raise interest in the Gold Dollar coin featuring Sacagawea has been stamped with Congress’ approval, but the Santa Fe artist who helped make the original thinks it’s “silly.”

Under a new law, the U.S. Mint will start reissuing the coin featuring Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who guided Lewis and Clark, in 2009. On the coin’s reverse side, the mint will replace a soaring American eagle with depictions of other famous American Indians or American Indian events.

The Treasury Department has yet to pick the designs, but some suggestions in the law include a World War II Navajo Code Talker, Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe and the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, whose leader, Pop‚, already has a statue in the Capitol.

By Ken Potter on Numismaster

Bruce Countryman of Iowa has reported what appears to be the first confirmed “plain edge” Thomas Jefferson Presidential dollar found. The coin is without the edge inscription, or what is commonly referred to in the hobby as a “plain edge” or “smooth edge” error.

After tens of thousands of the plain edge errors were found on Philadelphia and Denver Mint examples of the George Washington dollars (officially released on Feb. 14), and a much smaller but significant number were found on the Philadelphia John Adams dollars, (officially released on May 17), hobby observers predicted that the same error would repeat itself on the Jefferson dollar. However, weeks went by after their official release on Aug. 16 before one was actually found.

United States Mint Director and Wyoming Governor Celebrate Legacy of Women’s Rights, Pioneer Spirit

CHEYENNE, WYOMING – The sounds of the University of Wyoming Marching Band filled the Cheyenne Civic Center today in celebration of the official launch of the State’s commemorative quarter-dollar. Hosted by United States Mint Director Ed Moy and Governor Dave Freudenthal, the Wyoming launch ceremony honored the 44th coin in the United States Mint’s popular 50 State Quarters® Program.

Released into circulation on September 4, the Wyoming quarter design features a bucking horse and rider, which pays homage to the State’s Wild West heritage. The coin also bears the inscriptions “The Equality State,” recognizing Wyoming’s historical role in establishing equal voting rights for women; “Wyoming;” and “1890,” the year Wyoming was admitted into the Union. (more…)