Uncovering America's Heritage... Coin by Coin
2008 James Monroe Presidential $1 Coin
James Monroe's $1 Coin page tells a lot about this leader. But here are some other interesting details of his two terms in office.
- Monroe was elected president in 1816 and reelected in 1820.
- Monroe acquired Florida from Spain with help from Andrew Jackson, and formed the Monroe Doctrine with his secretary of state, John Quincy Adams.
- He made an agreement with Great Britain (1817) that both nations would limit the number of weapons their ships carried on the Great Lakes.
- He helped settle the question of the boundary between the United States and Canada.
- He supported the American Colonization Society’s experiment in settling Liberia (Africa), and the city of Monrovia was named after him.
- Monroe retired to his estate, Oak Hill, near Leesburg, Virginia. Though only the fifth president, he was the third president to die on the 4th of July…in 1831. He was visiting New York City at the time.
—Peter
Obverse: James Monroe is on the front of this coin with his name, the number of his presidency (fifth), and his years in office (1817 to 1825).
Reverse: The back shows the Statue of Liberty, the words "United States of America," and the denomination "$1."
Edge:
The edge holds the required inscriptions "E Pluribus Unum," "In God We Trust," the mint mark, and the year the coin was made or issued.