2009-P William Henry Harrison

Philadelphia struck 43,260,000 William Henry Harrison dollars in 2009, the ninth design of the Presidential series and the first issue of the third program year, released February 19, 2009. The 43.26 million figure was the smaller of the two 2009 Harrison mintages and the lowest Philadelphia output the program had seen to that point, continuing the cutbacks that began with the 2008 issues as Federal Reserve dollar-coin orders kept shrinking against accumulated bank inventory. Joseph Menna designed and sculpted the obverse portrait, anchored by the legend WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, 9TH PRESIDENT, 1841, the single year that captures the entire 31-day presidency from inauguration to death. Don Everhart's Statue of Liberty reverse and the incused edge inscription continued unchanged.

Philadelphia Harrison strikes generally show clean obverse detail, with the high points of the hair above the ear and the lapel of Harrison's military-style coat the first areas to soften under die wear. The reverse torch flame is the most common weak spot collectors flag. The 2009 Philadelphia P mintmark sits on the edge rather than the obverse, a Presidential-series convention that puts coin orientation at issue: roughly half of any random handful will show the edge legend reading right-side up relative to the obverse and half upside down, which is normal and not a variety. As with every late-decade Presidential issue, watch for honey or olive toning on coins out of original Mint sets a few years past issue; the manganese-brass alloy tones aggressively, and unnaturally bright yellow surfaces on coins this old usually indicate cleaning.

The 2009-P Harrison is a common date through Mint State 67, with original rolls, Mint sets, and certified low-end Mint State examples available at modest premiums over face. Population reports thin at Mint State 68, where the alloy resists the contact-free surfaces registry collectors chase. Most date and type buyers settle for a Mint set example or a roll-fresh coin; certified upper-end pieces appeal to set builders chasing the 2009 quartet specifically. For broader background see the Presidential Dollar series history.