The Golden Dollar's "heads" side features the Indian guide of the 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition, Sacagawea. She is portrayed in three-quarter profile. Glenna Goodacre, the obverse's artist, goes against numismatic tradition by having the portrait look straight at the holder. Goodacre's model is a present-day Shoshone college student, Randy'L He-dow Teton. The obverse also shows on Sacagawea carrying on her back Jean Baptiste, her infant son.

With the aim of complementing the obverse, the selected reverse design features a soaring eagle encircled by 17 stars. The 17 stars symbolize each Union state members during the 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition.

The United States is currently paying homage to its leaders by issuing $1 circulating coins that carry their portraits. Each coin are released in the order of service of those portrayed, and the series started with Presidents Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison for 2007. Each will have a reverse design bearing an image of the Statue of Liberty portrayed at an angle. Larger, more dramatic artwork, are also employed, as well as edge-incused inscriptions of the year of minting or issuance, "E Pluribus Unum," "In God We Trust" and the mint mark. The size, weight and metal composition of the new Presidential $1 Coin will somehow match the Sacagawea Golden Dollar, but the US Mint touted some unique features that make this coin a treasure.

On March 8, 2007, the United States Mint announced that, on February 15, 2007, an undetermined amount of George Washington Presidential $1 Coins were infused into circulation without their edge's markings. The edges were suppose to carry engravings like the U.S. mottoes, "In God we trust" and "E pluribus unum", the coin's mint mark, and its year of issuance. An expert has estimated that at least 50,000 coins lacking the edge inscriptions were released to the public. One such coin sold on eBay for $600, and more coins sold for $40-$60, which was around March 2007. A development of this is the filing off of edge lettering in some coins to attain the higher value of the coins without the markings.

Some John Adams Presidential Dollars have also been reported as having plain edges. Since these are lesser in quantity than the George Washington plain edge dollars, these are rarer, and more expensive.

Another discrepancy that resulted in variations in selling prices is about words on the rim struck upside down (with the portrait facing up). While these have been explained as variation created by the minting process, so called "upside-down" dollars sell on auction websites much more than their face value.

The United States is honoring, too, its First Spouses by way of one-half ounce $10 gold coins bearing their portraits, in the order of their service as first spouse, beginning in 2007 with Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, (Thomas Jefferson's Liberty) and Dolley Madison. Specifically, the obverse of these coins carry portraits of the Nation's First Spouses, their names, the dates and order of their term as first spouse, with the year of minting or issuance, "In God We Trust" and "Liberty." The United States Mint released First Spouse Gold Coins on the same schedule as the Presidential $1 Coins.

In the event of a President serving without a First Spouse, such as Thomas Jefferson, a gold coin will bear instead an obverse image showing Liberty as depicted on a circulating coin for that era, and bearing a reverse image with symbols of themes associated with that President.

Congressionally authorized American Eagle Bullion Coins are meant to give investors a convenient and cost-effective way to incorporate small amounts of physical platinum, gold, or silver to their investment holdings.

The American Eagle Bullion coins were offered to the public in 1986; at that time, only gold and silver coins were available. Platinum became part of the American Eagle Bullion family in 1997. For the past twenty years, gold, platinum and silver American Eagles have established a reputation as leading bullion coin investment products. Unlike commemorative or numismatic coins worth according to limitations of mintage, rarity, appearance and age, bullion coins were made with investment portfolios in mind. American Eagle Gold and Platinum Bullion Coins can be purchased in four denominations: one ounce, one-half ounce, one-quarter ounce, and one-tenth ounce. The Silver Bullion Coin can be acquired in the one ounce size.

Proof versions of American Eagle Bullion coins are made by the United States Mint for collectors. After undergoing inspection by white gloved inspectors, each American Eagle Proof Coin is encased in special plastic with its own presentation case and accompanied by an official Certificate of Authenticity. Each coin's metal content and weight are definitely guaranteed by the United States Government. American Eagle Gold, Silver, and Platinum Proof Coins have a limited mintage and are available directly from the United States Mint.

In 2006, the United States Mint came up with a new American Eagle coin, the American Eagle Uncirculated Coins in silver, gold and platinum.

The American Eagle Silver Uncirculated Coin is available in a one-ounce size, while the American Eagle Uncirculated Coins in both gold and platinum are available in one-tenth, one-quarter, one-half and one ounce sizes, as well as a complete four-coin set containing one coin of each size. The American Eagle Platinum Uncirculated Coins bear the same reverse design as the American Eagle Platinum Proof Coins.

The Mint's 24-karat gold coins is mandated by Public Law 109-145, dated December 22, 2005, also known as the Presidential $1 Coin Act.

The new American Buffalo Gold coin's obverse and reverse designs were sculpted by American artist James Earle Fraser originally for the 5-cent coin (nickel).

That coin which came to be known as the Indian Head, or Buffalo, nickel was released in 1913 and displays the native beauty of the American West.

Some mystery surrounds the Native American depiction on the coins obverse. For starters, at least three different American Indians are believed to have modeled for the portrait. Two of the American Indians were named by the designer himself: Chief Iron Tail of the Lakota Sioux and Chief Two Moons of the Cheyenne. Unfortuntely, Fraser could not recall the third Indian, and any documentation at hand has not been able to help identify that individual. The coin's bison on the reverse side is held to be Black Diamond, a popular installation at the New York Zoological Gardens.

The first .9999 fine 24-karat gold coins ever made available by the United States Mint are American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins. These $50 gold have investors' needs in mind who are seeking a tangible way to own and invest in 24-karat gold in the form of legal tender coins duly guaranteed by the United States Government.

American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins can be acquired at many coin and precious metals dealers. Pricing for these precious metal investment coins will be subject accordingly to the market price of the metal.

The United States Mint provides proof versions of these coins for collectors. Official Certificates of Authenticity are enclosed with each coin. American Buffalo Gold Proof Coins are available at a fixed price. Buyers can opt to purchase from the United States Mint.