It was easy to miss the release of the eight Presidential $1 coin last week given all the buzz with the U.S. Mint’s clearance sale and its announcement to drastically cut coins from its 2009 numismatic portfolio.

The final 2008 Presidential Dollar honoring Martin Van Buren went into circulation on Wednesday, November 13.

"Martin Van Buren rose from humble beginnings to become an influential politician through hard work, an attribute that exemplifies the American spirit," said United States Mint Director Ed Moy. "We, too, can show our American spirit by using Presidential $1 Coins.  They are resilient, practical and 100 percent recyclable."

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Martin Van Buren Presidential $1 coins will be sold on Thursday, November 13, the United States Mint said Monday. The final Presidential Dollar for 2008 will be available in 25-coin rolls for $35.95 and in 250-coin bags for $319.95, with either the Philadelphia, "P", or Denver, "D", mintmark.

Dubbed “The Red Fox of Kinderhook” for his red hair, political acumen and birthplace in New York, Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States. America was prosperous when Van Buren took office, but less than three months later the panic of 1837 occurred and was quickly followed by a five-year depression. Van Buren was voted out of office, making him the third president to serve only one term.

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The U.S. Mint is spending about $12 million in a four-city pilot program in an attempt to dissuade consumers away from their convictions that dollar coins are superior to paper bills. The pros and cons of $1 coins have been debated for years. The first round knockout always goes to the untouched champ, Mr. Paper Note. The bruised coin then pines away within government storage until its next mandated match.

In a cruel twist of fate, the dollar coin has just a few things going for it — coin collectors who find it unique, its production savings, and a government that continually throws money its way. The latter is despite foreknowledge the coin will always drop to the canvas hard as long as the $1 bill is pumped up by adoring consumer fans who use it every day.

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John Quincy Adam United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin and Louisa Adams First Spouse Medal Sets are now available and priced at $7.95 each.

The set was released Wednesday, September 3, and includes an uncirculated John Quincy Adam Presidential dollar coin and a bronze medal bearing the likeness of the Louisa Adams First Spouse gold coin.

According to the Mint website,

The coin and medal are held in a durable plastic card enhanced with beautiful representations of the President and first spouse’s portraits, with issuance information on the back.

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The Andrew Jackson Individual Proof $1 Coin will be available through the United States Mint Thursday, August 28, at 12 noon (ET).

Andrew Jackson was was the seventh President of the United States and the special individual proof coins honoring his presidency are priced at $5.95 each.

There is a $4.95 standard shipping and handling charge, which makes the total cost more prohibitive unless ordering them in quantity or with additional U.S. Mint products. There is a 5 order limit is in place for the proof singles.

Jackson Presidential $1 Coins first entered circulation on August 14, 2008 with their ceremonial release at The Hermitage, the home Jackson built and lived in near Nashville, Tennessee. It was the third Presidential Dollar for 2008 and the seventh since the series began in 2007.

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Americans are very familiar with the continual failure of dollar coins in every day use. In recent years, the Susan B. Anthony and the Sacagawea Golden Dollar have lost their acceptance battle.

Today, the new Presidential $1 coins honoring U.S. presidents is failing. Over one billion of the coins have been minted since the series start in 2007. Yet, few are ever seen in daily use. The paper bill is the currency of choice.

The U.S. Mint hopes a new marketing campaign will change people’s minds. They have selected four cities — Austin, TX; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Portland, Oregon; and Charlotte, North Carolina — as their testing bed.

The latest campaign takes a "green" approach, marketing how paper dollars waste money and harm the environment. To help America, the four city residents will be told to use "100 percent recyclable" coins that last decades instead of 21 months, like a $1 note’s typical lifespan.

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Andrew Jackson Presidential $1 Coins were launched into circulation Thursday with a ceremonial release at The Hermitage, the home Jackson built and lived in near Nashville, Tennessee.

The Hermitage became a museum in 1889 and has had over 15 million visitors.

Thursday, the museum experienced an influx of new traffic as the United States Mint kicked off the event in front of hundreds of people.

Most notable was the presence of more than 300 children who received a shiny new Jackson $1 coin for free. They not only brought home with them a new coin, but a fresh perspective of history and Jackson.

U.S. Mint Deputy Director Andrew Brunhart commented,

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Andrew Jackson Presidential Dollars will enter circulation Thursday, August 14. On the same day at 12:00 noon, Bags and Rolls of the $1 coins will be available directly from the United States Mint.

While nearly one billion Presidential coins were minted in 2007, finding them in circulation or exchanging for them at banks is often a challenging task. That holds true for this year’s coins as well. Although the U.S. Mint charges a premium, purchasing $1 coins through their secure website is at least doable.

The Mint offers the presidential $1 coins in 250-coin bags and 25-coin rolls that may be purchased with either the Philadelphia, “P”, or Denver, “D”, mint mark.

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The James Monroe United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin and Elizabeth Monroe First Spouse Medal Set is now available for a price of $7.95.

The set was released Wednesday, August 6, and includes an uncirculated Monroe Presidential dollar coin and a bronze medal bearing the likeness of the Elizabeth Monroe First Spouse gold coin.

James Monroe dollars were the first $1 coins released in 2008, and the fifth in the Presidential series.

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The United States Mint will begin circulating the latest Presidential $1 coin featuring Andrew Jackson on August 14, 2008.

The Mint has announced that a ceremonial introduction of the dollar coin will occur at The Hermitage, the home Jackson built and lived in near Nashville, Tennessee.

Over 15 million people have visited The Hermitage since its opening as a museum in 1889. Visitors on Aug. 14 will experience a once in a lifetime event as the seventh coin in the Presidential $1 coin program is officially released.

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