In 1961 Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space and orbit the globe for 108 minutes aboard Vostok 3KA-2 (Vostok I) and returned safely to earth. What a brave cosmonaut!!

The Perth Mint (Australia) is in the process of minting their “Orbit and Beyond” series. Last year a Sputnik commemorative was issued. Remember the sensational 1958 Sputnik launch which started our space race with the USSR?

These coins have revolutionary design in which the .999 silver dollar rotates about a brass core. The core has colored views of “The Blue Marble” from space. The reverse of the silver collar shows images depicting Gagarin’s historic flight: The blasting of the Vostok rocket, Vostok I in orbit, separation of the instrument and re-entry modules, fiery re-entry, and the independent parachute landings of Vostok and Gagarin. The border inscription reads: 1961 – FIRST MAN IN SPACE – YURI GAGARIN.

The craft experienced failure during re-entry causing the capsule to spin wildly during re-entry and would only settle down when wires were burned through during this phase. During re-entry Gagarin experienced 8 G’s but did not lose consciousness.

Yuri lost his life in 1968 during a crash of an MIG test flight. He will, however, never lose his title of FIRST MAN IN SPACE – YURI GAGARIN.

Presidential dollars are now available directly from the U.S. Mint at face value. Collectors and others can now order up to $500 in rolls of Uncirculated Presidential dollars for each president as the coins become available. The Mint will pay the standard shipping costs.

The Mint will ship directly to retail establishments, financial institutions, and the public in an effort to stimulate circulation of the dollar coins in daily transactions.

Following its successful series of collectible coin series for the 50 state quarters and the new Jefferson nickels, the US Mint is now offering a series of $1 coins featuring the presidents of the United States in the order they served.

The obverse, or ‘heads’, features a sculpted portrait of the president. On the reverse, or ‘tails’, is the Statue of Liberty. What’s really unique about this series of coins is the use of what they call ‘edge incused inscriptions.’ This means that they inscribed the edging of the coins with the words “E Pluribus Unum”, “In God We Trust”, and the mark of the US Mint. Many other countries have done this in the past, but this is an unusual design departure for the US Mint.

President’s Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison have already been issued in 2007. The next four presidents (can you name them?) will be issued in 2008.

All images are courtesy of the US Mint.

Presidential Dollar Coin Release Schedule

Year President Years Served Release Date

2007

1 George Washington 1789-1797 February 15
2 John Adams 1797-1801 May 17
3 Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809 August 16
4 James Madison 1809-1817 November 15

2008

5 James Monroe 1817-1825 February 14
6 John Quincy Adams 1825-1829 May 15
7 Andrew Jackson 1829-1837 August 14
8 Martin Van Buren 1837-1841 November 13

2009

9 William Henry Harrison 1841
10 John Tyler 1841-1845
11 James K. Polk 1845-1849
12 Zachary Taylor 1849-1850

2010

13 Millard Fillmore 1850-1853
14 Franklin Pierce 1853-1857
15 James Buchanan 1857-1861
16 Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865

2011

17 Andrew Johnson 1865-1869
18 Ulysses S. Grant 1869-1877
19 Rutherford B. Hayes 1877-1881
20 James A. Garfield 1881

2012

21 Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885
22 Grover Cleveland 1885-1889
23 Benjamin Harrison 1889-1893
24 Grover Cleveland 1893-1897

2013

25 William McKinley 1897-1901
26 Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909
27 William Howard Taft 1909-1913
28 Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921

2014

29 Warren Harding 1921-1923
30 Calvin Coolidge 1923-1929
31 Herbert Hoover 1929-1933
32 Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933-1945

2015

33 Harry S. Truman 1945-1953
34 Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-1961
35 John F. Kennedy 1961-1963
36 Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

2016

37 Richard M. Nixon 1969-1974
38 Gerald Ford 1974-1977

Well, it is just possible we may have more than just a First Lady in our country’s future and the U.S. Mint is ready for that eventuality by issuing First Spouse $10 gold coins.

On the obverse, or ‘heads’, is an engraved portrait of each of the First Ladies who have served so far (and they have all been woman so far). On the reverse, or ‘tails, unlike that of the presidential $1 coin, each is individually engraved featuring the life and work of each First Lady. If a president didn’t serve with a First Lady, Lady Liberty substitutes in the artistic design reminiscent of the period.

Each coin is a half ounce of 24 karat solid gold issued in a limited quantity of 20,000 uncirculated and 20,000 proof coins. They are released in the same year as the companion $1 coin is released. The cost depends on the cost of gold, but so far the cost is around $515 to $530 a coin.

Images are from the US Mint.

First Spouse Gold Coin Release Schedule
Year First Spouse Years Served
2007

1 Martha Washington 1789–1797
2 Abigail Adams 1797–1801
3 Jefferson’s Liberty 1801–1809
4 Dolley Madison 1809–1817

2008

5 Elizabeth Monroe 1817–1825
6 Louisa Adams 1825–1829
7 A. Jackson’s Liberty 1829–1837
8 M. Van Buren’s Liberty 1837–1841

2009

9 Anna Harrison 1841
10 Letitia Tyler 1841-1842
Julia Tyler 1844-1845
11 Sarah Polk 1845–1849
12 Margaret Taylor 1849–1850

2010

13 Abigail Fillmore 1850–1853
14 Jane Pierce 1853–1857
15 J. Buchanan’s Liberty 1857–1861
16 Mary Lincoln 1861–1865

2011

17 Eliza Johnson 1865–1869
18 Julia S. Grant 1869–1877
19 Lucy Hayes 1877–1881
20 Lucretia Garfield 1881

2012

21 Alice Paul 1881–1885
22 Frances Cleveland 1885–1889
23 Caroline Harrison 1889–1893
24 Frances Cleveland 1893–1897

2013

25 Ida McKinley 1897–1901
26 Edith Roosevelt 1901–1909
27 Helen Taft 1909–1913
28 Ellen Wilson 1913-1914
Edith Wilson 1915-1921

2014

29 Florence Harding 1921–1923
30 Grace Coolidge 1923–1929
31 Lou Hoover 1929–1933
32 Anna Eleanor Roosevelt 1933–1945

2015

33 Elizabeth Truman 1945–1953
34 Mamie Eisenhower 1953–1961
35 Jacqueline Kennedy 1961–1963
36 “Lady Bird” Johnson 1963–1969

2016

37 Patricia “Pat” Nixon 1969–1974

Ron Paul, the former Libertarian turned Republican candidate for president in 2008 has an energetic following to say the least. They are very creative when it comes to getting funds for his long shot campaign. Recently, they set a record for the most money raised at an event, some $14 million in one day!

Well, they are at it again. A group of supporters based in Evansville, Indiana calling itself the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act & Internal Revenue Code (NORFED) began minting “Liberty Dollars”. They are made in silver, gold, and copper and one features the profile of Ron Paul, the candidate. They are circulating the coins as legal tender and that has gotten the attention of the FBI, because they are not legal tender.

The group was raided by the FBI and the coins already minted were removed and the operation shut down. However, many of the coins, particularly the copper ones that were being minted and released on the day of the raid, have been found on Ebay selling rather well.

It is important to reiterate that these coins are not legal tender and are now just political curiosities. They may become collector items in the near future, but the market should settle first to determine whether they warrant the large amount of money some have been offering on Ebay for a copper one or a silver one, nearly $150 in some cases.

Candidate Ron Paul and his campaign have stated that they have no connection with NORFED and have not authorized the production of any minting of coins.