2010-P James Buchanan Presidential Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 36,820,000 made
- Mintage
- 36,820,000
- Metal
- Manganese brass
- Weight
- 8.1 g
- Diameter
- 26.49 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2010-P James Buchanan Presidential Dollar worth?
A worn 2010-P James Buchanan is a spender: face value. A bright uncirculated one, or one with a known error, is worth setting aside.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2010-P James Buchanan Presidential Dollar rare?
- No. 37 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 2010-P James Buchanan Presidential Dollar silver?
- No. It's manganese brass (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel). Circulating silver dollars ended with the 1935 Peace dollar. Some Eisenhower dollars with an S mint mark were made in 40% silver for collectors, but circulation Ike dollars are copper-nickel clad.
- Where is the mint mark on a 2010 Presidential Dollar?
- On the edge, incused along with the date and mottos. On this coin the mark is P, for Philadelphia.
- How many 2010-P James Buchanan Presidential Dollar coins were made?
- 36,820,000.
What to check on your 2010-P
- Make sure the mint mark really is a P. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 2010-D (37 million made).
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the high points of each portrait and the edge lettering, which should be complete and evenly spaced.
With 37 million made, the 2010-P still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 2010-P James Buchanan
Philadelphia made 36,820,000 of the James Buchanan presidential dollar. That was the smallest Philadelphia run of the 4 designs issued in 2010, so it's the one from that year you're least likely to find in change.
Denver struck a similar number of the same design (37 million), so neither mint's version is much harder to find.
Across the whole program it sits 22nd of 40 Philadelphia designs by mintage, where the scarcest is George H. W. Bush at 1.2 million.
The motto moves and the stockpile grows (2009 to 2011)
From 2009 IN GOD WE TRUST moved off the edge and onto the obverse, while the date, mint mark and E PLURIBUS UNUM stayed on the edge. Mintages fell steadily as the coins kept piling up unused.
By 2011 the Federal Reserve held well over a billion dollar coins it could not circulate. At the end of that year the Treasury stopped making Presidential dollars for circulation, so the coins of 2011 were the last made in large numbers.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2010
The Union Shield reverse replaced the Lincoln Memorial on the cent. The America the Beautiful quarters began, honoring a national park or site in every state and territory.
How to recognize it
The James Buchanan design
James Buchanan was the 15th president, serving from 1857 to 1861. A Pennsylvanian and a lifelong bachelor, he had been secretary of state under James K. Polk and minister to Great Britain. The Supreme Court issued its Dred Scott decision two days after his inauguration. After Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 election, seven Southern states declared secession before Buchanan left office. The coin bearing his portrait was issued in 2010.
The Presidential Dollar design
The obverse shows a president with his name and the order and years of his time in office. The reverse shows the Statue of Liberty with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and $1. The date, mint mark and E PLURIBUS UNUM are lettered on the edge, along with IN GOD WE TRUST on coins struck before 2009, so check the edge for the mint mark.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Presidential Dollar (2007–2020) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2010 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | "P" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 36,820,000 |
| Face value | $1 |
| Composition | Manganese brass (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel) |
| Weight | 8.1 grams |
| Diameter | 26.49 mm |
| Edge | Lettered with the date, mint mark and mottos |
| Designer | Obverses by various artists; Statue of Liberty reverse by Don Everhart |
Other 2010 Presidential Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-P Millard Fillmore Presidential Dollar | 37,520,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2010-P Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar | 38,220,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2010-P James Buchanan Presidential Dollar | 36,820,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2010-P Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar | 49,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2010-D Millard Fillmore Presidential Dollar | 36,960,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2010-D Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar | 38,360,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2010-D James Buchanan Presidential Dollar | 36,540,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2010-D Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar | 48,020,000 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: Presidential dollar coins (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.