2000 Sacagawea Dollar

2000-P Sacagawea Dollar

The 2000 Sacagawea Dollar represents the debut issue for the new dollar coin series. The coins were officially released into circulation on January 27, 2000. The launch was accompanied by a major promotional push from the United States Mint that included print ads, television commercials, the cross promotions such as the placement of a limited number of Sacagawea Dollars within boxes of Cheerios.

The US Mint would produce more than one billion of the new "Golden Dollar" coins during the inaugural year. Unfortunately the coins never achieved widespread circulation. This failure is often attributed to the continued presence of dollar bills, which the public preferred over the coins. Sacagawea Dollar mintages would decline significantly by the second year and eventually would no longer be produced for circulation.

The 2000 Sacagawea Dollar did produce a number of unique versions for collectors. The 5,500 Sacagawea Dollars that were distributed in boxes of Cheerios were later identified to have a pattern reverse design which differed from the reverse used for circulation. These coins came to be known as "Cheerios Sacagawea Dollars" and continue to command high premiums.

The designer of the obverse of the coin Glenna Goodacre received her $5,000 commission in Sacagawea Dollars. All 5,000 coins were encapsulated by ICG to permanently identify and preserve the coins. These are known as the "Goodacre Presentation Sacagawea Dollars" and generally have a proof like appearance since the coins were struck on burnished blanks.

The US Mint released a special Millennium Coinage and Currency Set limited to 75,000 units. The set contained a 2000 American Silver Eagle, 2000-D Sacagawea Dollar, and one dollar bill with the number "2000" within the serial number. The Sacagawea Dollars contained in the set had a burnished surface are identified as "Millennium Set" coins.