Introduced in January of 2000, the Sacagawea dollar coin was the end result of a contest held for a new dollar coin design. The coin is composed of a golden-colored alloy containing 77% copper, 12% zinc, 7% manganese, and 4% nickel bonded to a pure copper core. It weighs 8.1 grams, and is 26.50 millimeters in diameter,
The obverse of the coin was designed by Glenna Goodacre, and depicts Sacagawea facing right, with her head turned toward the viewer. In a sack draped over her shoulder sits a sleeping Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, Sacagawea's infant son. The word LIBERTY arcs along the top of the coin just above Sacagawea's head, while the phrase "IN GOD WE TRUST" appears on the upper-left side, with the mint year (along with any applicable mint mark) on the lower-left. Glenna Goodacre's initials appear at the bottom of the coin, slightly offset to the left below baby Jean Baptiste's head. The likeness of Sacagawea was based on Randy'L He-dow Teton, a then college student at the University of New Mexico.
The reverse of the coin was designed by Thomas D. Rogers, Sr., and depicts an American Bald Eagle in flight, encircled by 17 stars representing the states of the Union at the time of Lewis and Clark's expedition in 1804, with 8 on the left, 4 on the right, and 5 on the bottom. "E PLURIBUS UNUM" appears near the center of the coin to the immediate left of the eagle, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" arcs along the top, and "ONE DOLLAR" arcs along the bottom. Thomas D. Rogers' initials appear just above the R in Dollar.
United States Coinage