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James Monroe Obverse
Designer: Joseph Menna
Sculptor: Joseph Menna
Description: Features an image of James Monroe with the inscriptions "James Monroe," "5th President" and "1817 – 1825."
Statue of Liberty Design Reverse
Designer: Don Everhart
Sculptor: Don Everhart
Description: Features a striking rendition of the Statue of Liberty with the inscriptions "United States of America" and "$1."
Edge-Incused Lettering
Description: The new Presidential $1 coins will feature edge-incused inscriptions of the year of minting or issuance, "E Pluribus Unum," "In God We Trust" and the mint mark. Edge-incused inscription positions vary with each coin.
Virginia native James Monroe was overwhelmingly elected the 5th President of the United States. Monroe, you see, fought in the Revolutionary War; supported the Bill of Rights; and served as a US diplomat in Europe, as governor of Virginia, as senator, as secretary of state, as secretary of war, and as a negotiator of the Louisiana Purchase. His experience made him an excellent candidate for the presidency.
Under his administration beginning in 1817, the country enjoyed peace and a healthy economy. As a result, the years of his two terms are known as the “era of good feelings.”
As president, Monroe laid the foundation for American foreign policy in an 1823 message to Congress. This policy, which warned European powers against expanding in the Western Hemisphere, became known as the Monroe Doctrine.
To keep the balance between free states and slave states, he helped devise the Missouri Compromise. The Compromise also set a boundary line across the country. Above that line (36 degrees 30 minutes north latitude), no Louisiana territory could introduce slavery.