United States 2005-S dollar

from the Mountain Groan Collection

The United States dollar has a proud history going back to 1794 but the coin has been completely superseded by the dollar bill since the 1920's. Several attempts have been made to circulate a dollar coin, all have failed. The mint made a bold attempt in 2000-01 with this brass dollar with the figure of Sacagawea, the Native American woman who guided Lewis and Clark across the Rocky Mountains. Altho not outright rejected like the previous Susan B. Anthony dollar, it was met with indifference and lightly circulated specimens ended up back in Treasury vaults. Millions were exported to Ecuador as part of an aid program to that impoverished country where they were very popular. The locals had never heard of Sacagawea but noted her resemblance to a modern Quechua woman. No likeness of Sacagawea was taken during her lifetime, so all reconstructions of her appearance are hypothetical anyway. After striking large numbers for circulation in 2000-01, production was cut back to collector sets only for 2002-08. In 2009, a new reverse was introduced, to be changed annually, but the coin does not circulate.

Recorded mintage: 3,273,000 proofs.

Specification: 8.07 g, manganese brass (6 Zn-3.5 Mn-2 Ni-88.5 Cu), 26.49 mm diameter, lettered edge, designed by Glenda Goodacre and Thomas Rodgers.

Catalog reference: KM 310.

Source:

Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed., Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011.
Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 2001-Date, 13th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2018.

Link to:

United States 2005-S dollar

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