On January 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed into law the George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush Coin Act, authorizing the production of a Presidential Dollar for the late President. The law also authorizes the production of the First Spouse gold coin for First Lady Barbara Bush.
Senate Bill S.457 was introduced in February 2019 by Senator John Cornyn of Texas. After making its way to the House of Representatives last year and being approved, it was approved by the Senate in early January.
The Act authorizes the United States Mint to produced the Presidential Dollar for President Bush beginning immediately as well as the gold First Spouse coin for First Lady Bush. It requires the coin to be produced no longer than one year. Given the law was passed just days ago, it will likely be late 2020 before we see the coin produced from the Mint.
The original Presidential Coin Act of 2005 requires that a President must be deceased two years before a coin can be produced with their image. Both President Bush and First Lady Bush died in 2018. However, the last coin authorized under the original 2005 Act was for President Ronald Reagan. Subsequent coins will have to have an Act passed by Congress in order to be approved. That means that Coins for President Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama will all require an Act similar to this one for “Bush Sr.”
With the Act now signed, the Mint will now be obligated to produce an Uncirculated and Proof specimen of the Presidential Dollar and Uncirculated 1/2 ounce gold First Spouse coin for Barbara Bush. The First Spouse coin will be produced at the West Point facility while the George H. W. Bush Presidential Dollar will be minted at Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco (for Proofs) Mints. It is also possible that we will see a Reverse Proof of the coin as one was produced for the last handful of coins produced in 2015 and 2016.
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