2007-P John Adams

Philadelphia delivered 112,420,000 John Adams dollars in 2007, a hair more than its Denver counterpart and the second issue of the new Presidential series after Washington. Adams served from 1797 to 1801, and the legend "JOHN ADAMS / 2ND PRESIDENT / 1797-1801" runs the obverse field around Joel Iskowitz's portrait, sculpted by Charles L. Vickers. Don Everhart's Statue of Liberty fills the reverse. Edge lettering carries the date, mintmark, IN GOD WE TRUST, and E PLURIBUS UNUM, applied as a separate pressing step after the obverse and reverse strikes. The May 17 release date put the Adams coin in bank rolls about three months after the Washington launch, and demand had already tapered from the public response that exhausted Washington stock.

The same Plain Edge variety that made 2007-D Washington famous appears on the Philadelphia Adams as well, though in smaller numbers and with a quieter market. Any 2007 dollar pulled from a roll or pocket change is worth tilting under a light to confirm that the edge inscription is present, and the Philadelphia coin earns the same premium as its Denver counterpart when authenticated by PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, or NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company. On well-struck examples expect crisp portrait detail; on weaker strikes the hair above Adams's ear flattens and the lapel of the coat loses definition. The manganese-brass alloy also tones rapidly, and lustre on coins more than a few years out of original packaging shifts from bright yellow toward a duller tan, complicating the gap between Mint State 65 and 67 grades.

For collectors building a complete Presidential set the 2007-P Adams is one of the easier acquisitions. Roll-fresh examples remain plentiful from original Mint bags and bank rolls, and the issue trades as a common date through Mint State 66 with a clear premium only at Mint State 68 and above where population reports thin out. Plain Edge errors are the only piece of this date with serious upside, and the realistic Adams collector either runs the rim through a loupe before paying or sticks with certified slabs. Series context lives in the Presidential Dollar series history.