2007-D George Washington, Edge Lettering Error

The 2007-D George Washington Edge Lettering Error is the most famous variety in the entire Presidential Dollar series, and it traces directly to the production process the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 mandated. Each coin moved through three separate pressing operations: an obverse strike, a reverse strike, then a third pass at an edge-lettering machine that incused "$1," the year, the mintmark, IN GOD WE TRUST, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and thirteen stars onto the rim. On a portion of 2007 Denver production, that third step was skipped entirely. The coins emerged with a smooth, blank edge, which on the Presidential Dollar series meant IN GOD WE TRUST was missing from the coin altogether. Collectors and the press immediately christened them "Godless dollars," and the nickname stuck.

Authentication is unusually clean for an error of this prominence: the edge must be completely smooth and free of any letters, numerals, or stars. Partial-letter strikes, weak edge impressions, and over-struck edges are all separate, lower-value error categories and are often misrepresented. Genuine Plain Edge examples should also show the standard obverse and reverse design without rim damage, since coins with smooth filed edges have surfaced as alterations. Both the 2007-P and 2007-D Washington exist with the variety, with the 2007-D the more common of the two. Beyond Washington, smaller numbers of 2007 Adams, Jefferson, and Madison Plain Edge coins also exist, but Washington remains the headline.

Mintage is genuinely unknown and folded into the parent 2007-D total; numismatic estimates put surviving examples in the low tens of thousands across both mints combined, with the Denver variant the easier of the pair to find. Market-wise, raw circulated examples trade in the low double digits, certified Mint State pieces in the high double to low triple digits, and well-graded MS66 and above can pull a meaningful premium. The variety's lasting appeal is its accessibility: a major modern error tied to a famous nickname, available without the four- and five-figure costs of other named varieties. For the full launch and program context, see the Presidential Dollar series history.