The 1997 National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Silver Dollar was issued on the sixth anniversary of the dedication of the memorial, which honors more than 14,000 men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty.
The obverse of the coin depicts two Park police officers making a rubbing of a fallen officer’s name. This was designed by Alfred Maletsky based on a photography by Larry Ruggieri. The inscriptions include “National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial”, “In God We Trust”, “Liberty” and the date “1997″.
The reverse of the coin features a shield with a rose across it to represent the sacrifices made by the officers. Inscriptions include “United States of America”, “To Serve and Protect”, “E Pluribus Unum”, and the denomination “One Dollar”.
The 1997 Law Enforcement Silver Dollars were produced at the Philadelphia Mint in proof and uncirculated versions. The maximum authorized mintage was 500,000, but final sales registered at less than 25% of this amount. The US Mint offered the coins for sale individually or within a special insignia set, which included the silver dollar, a lapel pin, and a patch. Surcharges added to the cost of each coin were used for preservation of the memorial. The coins were originally available for sale from September 19, 1997 to December 15, 1998.
Coin Specifications
Designer: Alfred Maletsky
Weight: 26.7300 g
Composition: 90% Silver (0.7736 ounces of silver)
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 500,000
1997-P Uncirculated National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Silver Dollar
Pre-Issue Price: $30.00
Regular Price: $32.00
Final Mintage: 28,575
1997-P Proof National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Silver Dollar
Pre-Issue Price:$33.00
Regular Price: $37.00
Final Mintage: 110,428
The 1997 Franklin D. Roosevelt $5 Gold Coin was issued for the 32nd President of the United States. The commemorative coin program was not issued for any particular event or anniversary. Oddly the program only included a $5 gold coin, without any other issues in other denominations or compositions.
The obverse of the gold coin depicts the upper torso and head of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The was designed by T. James Ferrell based on a photograph of him reviewing the U.S. Navy fleet in San Francisco Bay. Inscriptions include “Franklin Delano Roosevelt”, the date “1997″, “In God We Trust”, and “Liberty”.
The reverse of the coin features the Presidential sealed displayed at his 1933 inauguration, designed by James Peed and modeled by Thomas D. Rogers, Sr. The inscriptions include “United States of America” and “Five Dollars”.
The Franklin D. Roosevelt $5 Gold Commemorative Coins were produced at the West Point Mint in proof and uncirculated versions. The maximum authorized mintage was 100,000 coins. The coins were sold individually, or as part of a two coin set. Each coin included a surcharge of $35, payable to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Commission.
Coin Specifications
Designer: T. James Ferrell (obverse) James Peed (reverse)
Weight: 8.3590 g
Composition: 90% gold (0.242 ounces of gold)
Diameter: 21.6 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 100,000
1997-W Uncirculated Franklin D. Roosevelt $5 Gold Coin
Pre-Issue Price: $180.00
Regular Price: $205.00
Final Mintage: 11,894
1997-W Proof Franklin D. Roosevelt $5 Gold Coin
Pre-Issue Price: $195.00
Regular Price: $225.00
Final Mintage: 29,474
The 1997 Jackie Robinson $5 Gold Coin has the distinction of being the lowest mintage of all modern commemorative coins, making it the key date of the entire series. This refers to the uncirculated version, which had a mintage of just 5,174 coins.
The Jackie Robinson Commemorative coins were issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first acceptance of a black player in a major league baseball game.
The obverse of the gold coin features a portrait of Robinson in his older years, when he was active in civil rights politics. The inscriptions read “Jackie Robinson”, the date “1997″, “In God We Trust”, and “Liberty”. The reverse of the coin features a baseball with the words “Legacy of Courage” and the dates of his birth and death “1919-1972″. Additional inscriptions read “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, and “Five Dollars”.
The Jackie Robinson $5 Gold Commemorative Coin was available in proof or uncirculated versions with a maximum authorized mintage of 100,000 coins. Collectors ultimately purchased 24,072 proof coins and 5,174 uncirculated coins. Due to the relatively disappointment sales results, an attempt was made to extend the sales offering period, but the proposal was rejected. The coins had been available for sale from August 16, 1997 to August 16, 1998.
The United States Mint offered a 2 coin set with the proof $5 gold and silver dollar, a 4 coin set with proof and uncirculated versions of each coin, and a Legacy Set, which included a baseball card, pin, and the $5 gold coin.
Coin Specifications
Designer: T. James Ferrell (obverse), James Peed (reverse)
Weight: 8.3590 g
Composition: 90% gold (0.242 ounces of gold)
Diameter: 21.6 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 100,000
1997-W Uncirculated Jackie Robinson $5 Gold Coin
Pre-Issue Price: $180.00
Regular Price: $205.00
Final Mintage: 5,174
1997-W Proof Jackie Robinson $5 Gold Coin
Pre-Issue Price: $195.00
Regular Price: $225.00
Final Mintage: 24,072
The 1997 Jackie Robinson Silver Dollar was issued in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his appearance in a major league baseball game as the first black player. Relatively lower mintages support higher secondary market premiums for the issue.
The obverse of the silver dollar portrays Jackie Robinson sliding into home plate. This recalls when he stole home plate in a 1955 World Series game. The inscriptions include “Liberty”, “In God We Trust”, and the date “1997″.
The reverse of the coin displays the logo of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. Inscriptions include “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, and “One Dollar”. Two accomplishments are also inscribed “Rookie of the Year 1947″ and “Hall of Fame 1962″.
The Jackie Robinson Silver Dollar was available in uncirculated or proof version, or within two multi-coin sets packaged by the United States Mint. The coins were limited to a maximum authorized production of 200,000 across all options, which was the lowest authorized production for a modern silver commemorative coin. Two coin sets and four coin sets were offered, which included versions of the $1 silver coins. Surcharges added to the cost of the coins were paid to the Botanic Garden Foundation and the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
Coin Specifications
Designer: Alfred Maletsky (obverse), T. James Ferrell (reverse)
Weight: 26.7300 g
Composition: 90% Silver (0.7736 ounces of silver)
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 200,000
1997-S Uncirculated Jackie Robinson Silver Dollar
Pre-Issue Price: $30.00
Regular Price: $32.00
Final Mintage: 30,180
1997-S Proof Jackie Robinson Silver Dollar
Pre-Issue Price:$33.00
Regular Price: $37.00
Final Mintage: 110,002
The 1997 Botanic Gardens Silver Dollar was issued for the National Botanic Garden in Washington, DC. Based on the inscriptions the occasion was for the 165th anniversary, which took place two years prior in 1995. The program did include the issuance of the 1997 Botanic Gardens “Coinage and Currency” Set, which still draws the interest of collectors today.
The obverse of the Botanic Gardens Silver Dollar portrays the facade of the Botanic Garden without landscaping. The inscriptions read “Liberty”, the denomination “One Dollar”, the date and mint mark, “In God We Trust”, and United States of America. Some collectors confuse the obverse as the reverse and vice versa because of the inclusion of the denomination. The obverse was designed by Edgar Z. Steever.
The reverse portrays a single rose with a garland of roses encircling the rim of the coin above. The inscriptions include “United States Botanic Garden”, the anniversary dates “1820-1995″, and the motto “E Pluribus Unum”. This was designed by William C. Cousins.
The 1997 Botanic Gardens Commemorative Silver Dollar was produced in proof and uncirculated versions, both minted in Philadelphia. Collectors took focus on the 1997 Botanic Gardens Set, which included a matte finish 1997-P Jefferson Nickel. Because only 25,000 of the sets were sold, this nickel enjoys a level of scarcity that has supported high prices. The commemorative offering had a maximum authorized mintage of 500,00 coins across all options. Final combined sales fell below the half-way mark.
Coin Specifications
Designer: Edgar Z. Steever (obverse), William C. Cousins (reverse)
Weight: 26.7300 g
Composition: 90% Silver (0.7736 ounces of silver)
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 500,000
1997-P Uncirculated Botanic Gardens Silver Dollar
Pre-Issue Price: $30.00
Regular Price: $33.00
Final Mintage: 58,505
1997-P Proof Botanic Gardens Silver Dollar
Pre-Issue Price:$33.00
Regular Price: $37.00
Final Mintage: 189,671
