United States Mint to Issue a Tribute to a Beloved President: James Monroe
Monroe’s Virginia Home Will Be First Place to Get New Coins
Washington, D.C. - Valentine's Day 2008 will mean more to Americans than chocolate and flowers. February 14, 2008, is the day the Nation may exchange dollar bills at banks and financial institutions for shiny new Presidential $1 Coins honoring a President who was beloved in his time, James Monroe.
Monroe's Presidency was known as "The Era of Good Feelings," and he was one of the country's most popular chief executives. Monroe served as the Nation's fifth President from 1817 to 1825 and, accordingly, this is the United States Mint's fifth Presidential $1 Coin. When President Monroe took office, the War of 1812 had ended, the Nation was expanding beyond the original 13 colonies and there were few political conflicts. When he was re-elected in 1820, President Monroe won all but one of the electoral votes in every state. Dozens of towns, cities and counties nationwide are named after Monroe and, of special significance on this Valentine's Day, Monroe's daughter, Maria Hester, was married in the first White House wedding.
"The James Monroe Presidential $1 Coin is a tribute to a great President," said Acting United States Mint Deputy Director Dan Shaver. "We hope that when people spend this coin, they'll remember that Monroe distinguished himself as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and served his Nation as a U.S. Senator, Governor of Virginia, Secretary of State, Secretary of War, and finally as our fifth President. Above all, he was widely known for his exceptional energy, character, and poise. President James Monroe made remarkable contributions to our Nation."
On Wednesday, February 13, 2008, the home of James and Elizabeth Monroe, Ash Lawn-Highland, near Charlottesville, Virginia, will become the first place in the Nation where Americans may obtain the new James Monroe Presidential $1 Coins a day before they go into circulation. There will be a brief ceremony at 11:00 a.m., and a coin exchange will follow. The public and news media are invited.
This year, the Nation will mark the 250th anniversary of President Monroe's birth on April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. James Monroe fought in the Revolutionary War and was painted holding the flag behind General George Washington in the famous work, "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze.
President Monroe was the author of the Monroe Doctrine, which became a longstanding tenet of U.S. foreign policy. The three main concepts of the doctrine - separate spheres of influence for the Americas and Europe, non-colonization, and non-intervention - were designed to signify a clear break between the New World and the European powers.
The design of the James Monroe Presidential $1 Coin, like all of the Presidential $1 Coins, was created to be bold and dramatic. Edge-lettering draws attention to the inscriptions "E Pluribus Unum" and "In God We Trust," as well as the date and the mint mark. Next year, the 2009 Presidential $1 Coins will bear "In God We Trust" on the front or back of the coin, as mandated by Congress in December 2007.
The obverse (heads side) of the James Monroe Presidential $1 Coin was designed and sculpted by United States Mint Medallic Artist Joseph Menna. The reverse (tails side) on all the Presidential $1 Coins is a magnificent image of the Statue of Liberty, designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart.
The United States Mint inaugurated the Presidential $1 Coin Series with the George Washington Presidential $1 Coin on February 15, 2007, in time for Presidents Day weekend. The John Adams Presidential $1 Coin followed on May 17, 2007, the Thomas Jefferson Presidential $1 Coin was launched on August 16, 2007, and the James Madison Presidential $1 Coin went into circulation on November 15, 2007.
