Sacagawea Dollar / Native American Dollar

Although Sacagawea has become an important, well-known part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition story, reliable historical information about Sacagawea is actually quite limited.

What is known about Sacagawea is this:

Sacagawea was born into an Agaidika ("Salmon Eater") tribe of Lemhi Shoshone in what is now Idaho some time around 1788. When she was about 12, Sacagawea and several other women were kidnapped and taken to a Hidatsa village. Trapper Toussaint Charbonneau took her as his wife when she was about 13.

In November 1804, the "Corps of Discovery," an expedition led by Lewis and Clark entered the area. They hired Charbonneau to serve as interpreter on their expedition. Even though she was pregnant, Sacagawea was chosen to accompany the mission.

In February 1805, Sacagawea gave birth to a son named Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. Sacagawea proved to be helpful in many ways. She was skilled at finding edible plants, and saved important cargo and documents when one of the expeditions boats capsized. She also served as a symbol of peace - a group traveling with a woman and a child were treated with less suspicion than a group of men alone.

Reaching the Pacific coast in November 1805, Sacagawea and her family remained with the expedition through the winter and returned east with them until they reached the Mandan villages. During the journey, Clark became fond of her son Jean Baptiste, nicknaming him "Pomp" or "Pompey." He offered to help him get an education.

Once Sacagawea left the expedition, the details of her life become more obscure. In 1809, the family may have traveled with her son to St. Louis to see Clark. Pomp was left in Clark's care. Sacagawea had a daughter named Lisette, three years later. Only a few months after her daughter's arrival, Sacagawea reportedly died at Fort Manuel in what is now South Dakota in 1812. After Sacagawea's death, Clark looked after her two children, and ultimately took custody of them both.

The National American Woman Suffrage Association of the early twentieth century adopted her as a symbol of women's worth and independence, erecting several statues and plaques in her memory, and doing much to spread the story of her accomplishments.

Most people don't realize that there are no known contemporary images of Sacagawea. We don't really know what she looked like. In fact, when Congress authorized the coin they did not specify that an image of Sacagawea be put on the coin, but an image based on Sacagawea.
Some references state that the coin depicts the goddess Liberty dressed as a Native American woman in a manner inspired by Sacagawea. The lady engraver/sculptor Glenna Goodacre had model for the image was Randy'L He-dow Teton (pictured at the left), a Shoshone woman who was a student at the University of New Mexico at time. Since there was no contemporary image of Sacagawea, Goodacre went to Institute of American Indian Arts Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico looking for a Shoshone woman to model for the image. Teton is the daughter of a museum employee.

The value of a coin is actually a combination of several factors, with the age of the coin actually being almost inconsequential. Let's take a look at the two most important factors.

The first factor is the rarity of the coin. This is a combination of how many coins were originally minted and what happened to them. Some are destroyed accidentally. Some have been recalled by the government. Collectors have taken some out of circulation. As a particular type of coin has fewer examples available, it becomes more valuable.

The other factor is the physical condition of a coin. The closer a specimen is to perfect is, the more valuable it becomes. So a rare, perfect coin is much more valuable than a common, worn coin. A good general guide to coin values based on their grades can be found in "The Red Book" (pictured here)

The American Numismatic community has developed a grading system to describe the condition of a coin. What I will discuss here is coins that have been minted to go into general circulation, released. The conditions of the coins are represented by names, as well as a combination of letters and numbers. I have summarized some general conditions here.

Perfect Uncirculated (MS-70) This indicates a coin in perfect, new condition. It shows no trace of handling, wear, or contact with other coins.

Gem Uncirculated (MS-65) This is an above average uncirculated coin. It may be brilliant, or it may be lightly toned. There are very few contact marks either on either surface of the coin or on the rim.

Choice Uncirculated (MS-63) This coin has some distracting contact marks and/or blemishes in the prime focal areas of one or both surfaces. The luster of the coin may be impaired.

Uncirculated (MS-60) This coin has no trace of wear, but it may show several contact marks, and the surface of the coin may lack luster, or even be spotted.

Choice About Uncirculated (AU-55) There is evidence of friction on the high points of the coin's design, but most of the mint luster remains.

About Uncirculated (AU-50) This coin shows traces of light wear on many of the high points of the coin. At least half of the original mint luster is still present.

Choice Extremely Fine (EF-45) The coin exhibits light overall wear on the highest points of the coin. Some of the original mint luster is still evident. All design details are still very clear and sharp.

Extremely Fine (EF-40) There is light wear throughout the design, but all features of the design are still sharp and well-defined. Although not an essential element to the the definition of this grade, some traces of mint luster may still exist.

Choice Very Fine (VF-30) Light, even wear on the surface and highest parts throughout the design. All major features of the design, as well as al lettering remain sharp.

Very Fine (VF-20) While all major details of the design remain clear, there is moderate wear on high points of the coin's design.
Fine (F-12) There is moderate to considerable even wear. The design remains bold, and the overall appearance of the coin is still pleasing to the eye.

Very Good (VG-8) The coin is well worn with the main features of the design remaining clear and bold, although they have been worn somewhat flat.

Good (G-4) This coin is heavily worn. The design is still visible, but many of the details are flat, and the design is faint in some areas.

About Good (AG-3) This coin is very heavily worn with portions of the lettering, date, and legend have been worn smooth. In many instances, the date is barely readable.

The question is always, how can I find a show or a club in my area. Let me give you some help with those questions.
Coin Shows is a website which lists coins shows occuring throughout the United States. Broken down by state, it's an easy way to locate a show near you.
The American Numismatic Association Club Locator Page is a great resource to locate a good club in your vicinity.

The Native American $1 Coin Act, passed in 2007, instructed the US Mint to design a series of Sacagawea dollars with modified reverses which commemorate "Native Americans and the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the development of the United States and the history of the United States." Four designs will be minted, each for one year from 2009 to 2012.

The theme of the 2009 Native American $1 Coin is "Agriculture." The reverse of the coin features a Native American woman planting seeds, as well as inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and $1. The Motto, "E Pluribus Unum" has been moved to the edge of the coin to make more room for the design on the reverse.

The United States Mint's design for the Native American $1 Coin in 2010 was based on the theme "Government - The Great Tree of Peace."

The coin depicts the Hiawatha Belt and five arrows bound together, with the inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "$1," "Haudenosaunee" and "Great Law of Peace."

The Hiawatha Belt is a visual record of the creation of the Haudenosaunee, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy, with five symbols representing the five original Nations.

This design is undoubtedly my favorite of the Native American Dollar series to date. Unfortunately, I've never seen one in circulation.