Issued in 2008 as part of the United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Program, t
Issued in 2009 as part of the United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Program, this coin honors William Henry Harrison, the ninth President of the United States, who served in 1841. Harrison’s presidency lasted just one month, giving him the distinction of having the shortest presidential term in U.S. history.
The obverse features a portrait of Harrison with the inscriptions “WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “9th PRESIDENT,” and “1841.” The design was created and sculpted by U.S. Mint Medallic Artist Joseph Menna. The reverse, designed and sculpted by Don Everhart, depicts the Statue of Liberty alongside “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and the $1 denomination.
This example is housed in an attractive William Henry Harrison collector display card, featuring a portrait of Harrison on the front and biographical information on the reverse. The presentation makes it an appealing piece for collectors of Presidential dollars, U.S. coinage, and American history.
Specifications:
Country: United States
Year: 2009
Denomination: $1
Series: Presidential $1 Coin Program
President: William Henry Harrison – 9th President
Presidential Term: March 4 – April 4, 1841
Composition: Manganese-brass clad
Weight: 8.10 g
Diameter: 26.49 mm
Obverse Designer/Sculptor: Joseph Menna
Reverse Designer/Sculptor: Don Everhart
Reverse Design: Statue of Liberty
Edge: Lettered
Packaging: William Henry Harrison informational collector display card
The edge carries the 2009 date, “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and mint mark. Regular circulation examples were struck at Philadelphia and Denver.
Historical Significance
Before becoming President, William Henry Harrison had a lengthy military and political career. He served as governor of the Indiana Territory and gained national recognition for his military service, including the Battle of Tippecanoe, which helped earn him the nickname “Old Tippecanoe.” He later served in the U.S. House and Senate and as a diplomat before winning the presidency as the Whig candidate in 1840.
Harrison was inaugurated on March 4, 1841, but died on April 4, 1841, only one month after taking office. He became the first U.S. president to die while serving in office, and his death raised important constitutional questions about presidential succession when Vice President John Tyler assumed the presidency. Harrison’s grandson, Benjamin Harrison, would later become the 23rd President of the United States.
The William Henry Harrison Presidential $1 Coin was the ninth release in the Presidential $1 Coin Program and the first Presidential dollar issued in 2009. It was also the first coin in the series to place “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the obverse rather than on the edge, following a change to the program’s design requirements.
Condition: Coin is presented in the pictured William Henry Harrison collector display card. The card exhibits some signs of handling and storage, including visible edge and corner wear. Please review all photographs for the exact condition. The coin and display card pictured are the exact items you will receive.
