2009-P James K. Polk

Philadelphia struck 46,620,000 Polk dollars in 2009, the third design of the year and the eleventh in the Presidential series, released August 20, 2009 to follow William Henry Harrison and John Tyler and precede Zachary Taylor. The figure is the highest of the four 2009 Philadelphia issues, narrowly outpacing the Tyler dollar but still well below the lowest 2008 Philadelphia mintage. Federal Reserve banks were already moving slowly on dollar coin orders by mid-2009 because pallets of 2007 and 2008 Washington-through-Van Buren dollars remained unreleased in vault inventory, and the Mint set 2009 production accordingly. Susan Gamble drew the obverse portrait of the eleventh president, paired with Don Everhart's Statue of Liberty reverse first introduced with the 2007 Washington dollar.

Strike on the 2009-P Polk obverse is generally clean, with the high collar and forehead the first areas to soften as dies wore late in a press run. Reverse strike weakness on the torch flame and Liberty's gown folds shows at roughly the same rate as on other 2009 issues. The P mintmark is incused on the edge rather than the obverse, a Presidential-series convention that puts edge orientation at issue: a finished coin can show the edge legend reading either direction relative to the obverse and neither orientation is a variety. Watch for missing-edge-lettering errors, far less common on 2009 dates than on the 2007 Washington dollar but still occasionally found and worth meaningful premiums when authenticated by a major grader.

The 2009-P Polk is a common date through Mint State 67 and inexpensive in any circulated grade. Population reports thin sharply at Mint State 68 in line with the rest of the Presidential series, where the manganese-brass alloy resists the contact-free surfaces registry collectors require. Most date-and-mint collectors satisfy the Polk slot through original Mint-wrapped rolls, the 2009 Annual Uncirculated Coin Set, or the four-coin 2009 Presidential Dollar set; certified high-grade pieces appeal mainly to set builders chasing the 2009 quartet specifically. For broader background see the Presidential Dollar series history.