The Presidential Dollar program is one of the most recognized as issued by the United States Mint. Brought forth to Congress in 2005 as the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, the first four coins were produced and issued in 2007. Thus began a yearly series that would eventually end in 2016 with Nixon, Ford, and Reagan.
Currently within Congress now, legislation has been presented that if approved, would bring back the program. But starting with who you ask? George H.W. Bush.
After the passing of his wife, Barbara, in 2018, Bush soon died months later at the age of 94. If passed, the 41st President of the United States, in addition to Barbara on the First Spouse medal and bullion coin, would be featured on a 2019 Presidential dollar. The legislation was presented by Roger Williams and the likelihood of its passing is fairly low due to a section of the original law that provided that there be “LIMITATION IN SERIES TO DECEASED PRESIDENTS.” This particular subsection in the law presented in 2005 states that no coin is “to bear the image of a living former or current President, or of any deceased former President during the 2-year period following the date of the death of that President.”
This new legislation, H.R. 1173, wants to get rid of that rule if you will and release the new 2019 Presidential and First Spouse coins featuring the 41st and his beloved. In office from 1989-1993, George H.W. had one of the most experienced backgrounds of a US President as he served eight years as Vice President alongside Ronald Reagan from 1981-1989. During his term, Bush was most well known for his foreign policy accomplishments much more than his domestic. His underachievements in domestic affairs are what some like to say the reason he was not re-elected in 1992 and resulted in the election of President Bill Clinton.
The 41st eventually found himself watching his son, George W. Bush, take over the presidency as the 43rd President of the United States in 2001 and continue his term until 2008.
The current legislation to bring back the Presidential dollar and First Spouse coin series is still under consideration and no considerable decisions have been made to move it further along.
Source: Coin World