New Yorkers exchanged their currency for coins, and Americans nationwide braced for big change in the change they receive from banks and retailers as the George Washington $1 Coin made its debut at Grand Central Terminal in New York City on February 15, 2007. George Washington look-alikes greeted commuters who lined up to trade cash for rolls of America’s newest circulating coin. The event marked the day the first Presidential $1 Coin was released into circulation.

Developed for commerce and collecting, the new George Washington $1 Coins are a fun way to educate about America’s first President – just in time for Presidents Day. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison will also be honored with circulating $1 coins this year. The Presidential $1 Coin series will continue until approximately 2016, as America’s presidents are honored in the order in which they served. More information about this series can be found on our Presidential $1 Coin website or by subscribing to the Presidential $1 Coin Newsletter.

On the same day the George Washington $1 Coin was released into circulation, we also offered the first of many new collectible Presidential $1 Coin products for sale. Bags and rolls of the George Washington $1 Coin are available now in 25- and 250-coin increments. The 25-coin rolls feature a brand new, patriotic wrapper that identifies which Presidential $1 Coin the roll contains. Both the 25-coin rolls and the 250-coin bags are available from either the United States Mint at Philadelphia or Denver.

President Washington is not the only president who will be honored this year, as he is joined by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the 2007 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set. Similar to the popular 50 State Quarters® Proof Set, this set will offer all four Presidential $1 Coins for 2007 in proof condition. These coins have the distinct, mirror-like background of a proof coin and truly showcase the artistry of these bold new coin designs. This set will be offered individually later this spring, but you can sign up now to automatically receive this set every year when it becomes available by joining the Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set subscription program. It’s the easiest way to make sure your collection is always up-to-date.

Last year, the 20th anniversary of the American Eagle Gold Coin Program drew renewed interest to the stunning beauty of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' timeless Liberty design. And while the spotlight has since moved on, the American Eagle tradition is still as strong as ever. American Eagle Gold Proof Coins are still one of the finest collectibles the United States Mint has to offer. The 2007 coins are available in four sizes, as well as in a complete four-coin set. Mintages for these popular coins are limited, so order yours today.

The Coins and Medals section of the United States Mint website offers a wealth of information ranging from coin programs to coin production information. In addition to reading descriptions of all the coin and medals programs currently offered by the United States Mint, you can review coin production figures, compare coin specifications, view hi-resolution coin images, and take our interactive "virtual" coin production tour. You can also access the Online Store where you can purchase most of the coins and medals featured in this section.

Is it a game or a quiz? Call it what you will, the challenge is for you or your child to captain three ships across the Atlantic Ocean. Your success depends on your knowledge of the colony set up at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Try your hand at meeting this challenge! The quiz/game is linked at the bottom of the Commemorative Coins page on the United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change™ Web site.

As with the 50 State Quarters® Program, the H.I.P. Pocket Change Web site is spreading the excitement about the Presidential $1 Coin series through new features and articles.

• In February, you’ll see new pages in Coin News – one page for each of 2007’s new $1 coins. These pages are under “Presidential $1 Coin Program” in the section called "The Coins Are Coming!"
• The Coin of the Month for February focuses on the first president to be honored in this series: George Washington. Your guide for this month is Bill the Mint Buffalo.
• A new set of free lesson plans is available to download in the Teachers area. The series kicks off with one lesson for each set of grade levels (kindergarten and 1, 2 and 3, 4 through 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, and 11 and 12). Each plan is written so it can be applied to more than one presidential administration.

So take advantage of this ongoing program to get to know our past presidents. Learn how they met the challenges they faced, and see how they developed and administered a new form of government in a brand new nation.