Gold Dollar Coins / Start a Coin Collection

Folks in the United States are fairly familiar the Sacajawea dollar coin that was first issued in the year 2000. Me, I'm a big fan of the dollar coin idea. I still have a few Susan B. Anthony dollars tucked away, and I've put aside some Sacajawea coins too because I really like them.

But how many people know about the Presidential $1 Coin Program that started in 2007? Similar to the state quarters program in which they issued five new quarters per year, now the U.S. Mint is issuing four $1 coins per year, featuring the American Presidents in the order in which they served. The 2009 coins will feature William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, and Zachary Taylor. The U.S. Mint website has a program overview page, including an FAQ link.

So what am I getting at? Shiny gold $1 coins would make nice stocking stuffers for kids, especially to start a little coin collection. These coins are at least a bit educational, especially if you can get your kids interested in juvenile biographies of those featured on the coins. Check at your bank to see if they'll be getting the coins in regularly, and if they still have any of the 2007 and 2008 presidential dollars available.

It might also be fun to spread them a little throughout the year -- the February released coin could go in the Easter basket, for instance. And don't forget to fit Susan B. Anthony and Sacajawea in there at some point! You can also bring back coins from any foreign trips, of course -- even Canadian coins seem exotic to American kids. (The Looney and the Tooney will be especially big hits.)