Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar

The Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar is a United States one-dollar coin issued in 2010 as part of the Presidential $1 Coin Program, which honored the presidents in the order they served. It features a portrait of Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, on the obverse. The dates 1853–1857 that appear on the coin refer to Pierce's single term in office, not to the year the coin was minted.

Despite its gold color, the coin contains no gold. It is struck in manganese brass — a copper alloy with manganese, zinc, and nickel — the same golden-toned composition used for the Sacagawea and Native American dollars. It measures about 26.5 mm across, weighs roughly 8.1 grams, and has a distinctive lettered edge carrying the date, mint mark, and mottoes rather than the usual raised design on the face.

The Presidential $1 Coin Program ran from 2007 through 2016, releasing coins for eligible former presidents at a rate of four per year. Franklin Pierce was the fourth and final release of 2010, following James Buchanan's predecessors that year. Like the others, his coin was produced for circulation at the Philadelphia and Denver mints and as collector proofs at San Francisco.

The program was authorized to boost circulation of dollar coins and to celebrate the presidency, echoing the earlier 50 State Quarters series in its rotating design format. Public demand for dollar coins remained limited, however, and in 2011 the Treasury largely halted production for general circulation, shifting later issues to collectors. Franklin Pierce dollars were struck in large numbers typical of the series, so they remain common and inexpensive today.

The obverse shows a right-facing bust of Franklin Pierce with the inscriptions FRANKLIN PIERCE, 14TH PRESIDENT, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the term dates 1853–1857. The reverse carries the shared design used across the entire Presidential series: a rendering of the Statue of Liberty with the legends UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and $1. Because the reverse is identical on every coin in the program, the president's name and term dates on the obverse are the key to identifying which issue you have.

The edge is lettered and incused, reading E PLURIBUS UNUM along with the year of minting and the mint mark (P or D for circulation strikes, S for proofs). Note that the minting year on the edge is 2010, distinct from the 1853–1857 term dates on the face. The coin's golden color, 26.5 mm size, and smooth (non-reeded) lettered edge are quick visual cues that separate it from silver-colored quarters or older dollar coins.

Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollars are very common and, in circulated condition, are generally worth only their face value of one dollar. Uncirculated examples pulled from mint bags or rolls carry a modest premium, and San Francisco proof coins and mint-set pieces trade for a few dollars each depending on demand and packaging.

As with the rest of the series, the coins that bring higher prices are error and variety pieces — most famously the "missing edge lettering" errors, where the incused edge inscriptions were never applied, and other off-center or misstruck examples. Any premium coin should be verified by a reputable third-party grading service. Treat all figures as general context; actual prices vary with condition, grade, and the collector market.