The United States Mint in 2016 will strike and sell coins featuring portraits of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States (1981-1989), and his wife Nancy.
Their commemoration breaks expectations as neither were included with original design candidates for 2016 Presidential $1 Coins and 2016 First Spouse Gold Coins.
The Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, Public Law 109-145, is clear that living former or current Presidents cannot be honored on coins. It’s less concise about breaking the sequential order of Presidential service to honor a commander-in-chief.
President Carter, who served prior to Reagan, is alive and therefore cannot be depicted on U.S. coins. A legal interpretation of Public Law 109-145 was needed and made. Carter will get skipped over to honor Reagan. Paul Gilkes of Coin World writes about the decision, breaking the story on Feb. 12.
Next week, on Mar. 5, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) will meet to review and consider designs candidates for several medals and coins. According to a U.S. Mint notice that is scheduled to appear tomorrow on the Federal Register, designs for review will include those for 2016 Ronald Reagan Presidential $1 Coins and 2016 $10 Nancy Reagan First Spouse Gold Coins.
Nancy Reagan would be the first living person to appear on a U.S. coin since commemorative 1995 Special Olympics Silver Dollars depicted Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
