The William Henry Harrison dollars, which were part of a series of coins featuring different American presidents, are not among the best-known coins in American coinage history. Released relatively recently are there any William Henry Harrison dollars worth more than their face value?
If you have William Henry Harrison dollars in your possession, could some of them be worth more than a dollar? Because there were almost a hundred million coins minted bearing the likeness of the ninth American president, circulated coins are not considered rare or valuable. However, if you have a mint state specimen, it could be worth more.
Continue reading to find out more about the William Henry Harrison dollar coin value.
Background on William Henry Harrison Dollar
The William Henry Harrison dollar was released in 2009 as part of the presidential $1 coin program. Harrison was the ninth president of the United States, served in 1841, and died of pneumonia soon after his inauguration speech. He was the president for 31 days only and the first one to die in office.
W. H. Harrison’s father, Benjamin Harrison, was one of the men to sign the American Declaration of Independence. Before becoming the president, Harrison had a distinguished career in the army and was nicknamed “Old Tippecanoe” after the victory in the Battle of Tippecanoe.
When Harrison was selected as the president, he was 68 and the oldest president until that time. His inaugural speech, delivered during a rainstorm in March, lasted one hour and 45 minutes and was the longest in U.S. history. Shortly after, he got ill with a cold, which then developed into pneumonia, leading to his death.
William Henry Harrison Dollar Coin Value
The William Henry Harrison dollars were minted for circulation at two different mint facilities: Philadelphia and Denver. The San Francisco mint facility also produced the W.H. Harrison dollars but only proof copies for collectors.
The value of these and any other coins varies depending on their condition and rarity. If you are looking to buy or sell a W.H. Harrison dollar or any other collectible coin, do your research first using websites such as the Coin Value Checker. You might also consider a professional valuation but note that it can be expensive and not cover the coin’s value.
Regular Strike Coins
The Philadelphia Mint produced 43,260,000 and the Denver Mint 55,160,000 William Henry Harrison dollars. With such a large number of coins released into circulation, the Harrison dollars are very common in circulated conditions and therefore not worth more than their face value.
The only Philadelphia and Denver minted William Henry Harrison dollar coins that are worth more than their face value are those still in mint state. That means that although they were meant for circulation, they for some reason didn’t end up circulated and have remained in mint state condition.
If you have a William Henry Harrison dollar coin that is graded as MS65 and bears the mint mark P for Philadelphia or D for Denver, the coin is worth approximately $4.30. However, higher-graded William Henry Harrison dollars can attract better prices at auctions.
Auction Records for Regular Strike W.H. Harrison Dollar Coins
The auction record for a regular strike Harrison dollar is $1,840 It was achieved at Heritage Auctions in 2010 with an MS68 graded, position A, Philadelphia minted coin. So far, this is the only example of a regular William Henry Harrison dollar selling for over one thousand dollars.
William Henry Harrison Proof Dollar
The San Francisco Mint produced 2,809,452 proof W.H. Harrison dollars for collectors. Proof coins are not minted for circulation and have a different finish quality from regular coins. The level of detail on proof coins is higher, as is the sharpness and clarity of the design.
Proof coins graded as PR65 are currently worth approximately $4.60. The highest price achieved with a W.H. Harrison proof dollar at an auction is $260. The coin, graded as SP69, was sold on eBay in 2021.
The Most Valuable William Henry Harrison Dollar Coin
The W.H. Harrison dollar sold for the highest price so far, is a proof coin with an error. This coin, graded as SP69, is missing letters on the edge, which increases its value to collectors. It was sold at Heritage Auctions in 2010 for $1,955.
Coin Grading
When professional coin graders appraise a coin, they use a grading system known as the Sheldon Scale. This scale runs from one to seventy and uses lettering in combination with the numbers to quickly indicate to coin collectors the condition of the coin.
Garding of regular coins that have been in circulation begins with PO1, which means the coin is in poor condition. The better the condition of the coin, the higher the number will be. The coins collectors look for are usually mint state coins, identified with the letters MS. The lowest mint state grade is MS60 and the highest is MS70, reserved for the perfect specimens.
Proof Coin Grading
Proof coins are also graded on a numeric scale but using the letters PR to identify them as proof coins. The reason they are graded differently is that they were originally produced as higher-quality coins. The highest grade is PR70, again reserved for the perfect coins only.
You will also sometimes see the letters SP used in the grading of proof coins. These letters stand for “specimen” and are used to grade coins that were minted as proofs but fall short of the standard. However, they are better than regular strike coins.
Design of the William Henry Harrison Dollar
The William Henry Harrison dollar features a portrait of Harrison on the obverse designed by Joseph Menna. As well as the president’s image, the obverse has his name in capital letters along the top rim. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST runs along the lower rim of the coin together with the wording 9th PRESIDENT and 1841, the year he became president.
On the reverse is an image of the Statue of Liberty with the denomination $1 struck under the arm of Liberty. The words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, run along the rim, starting from the left side of the statue at the bottom and finishing on the right of the statue.
If you are familiar with American coin design, you will notice that some key details are missing from the obverse/ reverse designs of the coin: the minting date, the Latin phrase E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the mint mark P, D, or S. On the William Henry Harrison dollar coins, these details are inscribed along the edge of the coin.
Composition
While the coins may have the appearance of gold coins, no gold was used in the minting of William Henry Harrison dollars. The coins were made with a manganese-brass alloy where the main ingredient is copper at 88.5%. The other metals used are zinc (6%), manganese (3.5%), and nickel (2%).
Positions A and B
The William Henry Harrison dollar coins come in two different designs referred to as Position A and Position B, which refer to the edge lettering on the coin. When the portrait faces up, the letters read upside down in position A. In position B, they read normally when the portrait is facing up.
Looking After Your William Henry Harrison Dollar Coins
While most of the W.H. Harrison dollar coins will not fetch high prices at auctions at present, their prices may increase in the future. Therefore it is a good idea to look after your coin properly, especially if you have a mint state coin, to preserve it in its current state. Here are some tips on looking after the coins.
Storage
Proper storage is key in preserving your coin’s condition. Your coin should be stored away from humidity, extreme temperatures, and chemicals. The best place for it is in a cool, dry place, where it is away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
Get proper coin holders for your coins that are airtight and protect them from contamination and scratches. Avoid holders that contain PVC materials as they can damage the surface of the coin over time.
Cleaning
Do not clean your coins with harsh chemicals or abrasive materials as they can damage the coin’s surface, which will lower its value. When cleaning, hold the coin by the edges and use a lint-free soft cloth to remove any dust or debris from the surface. If more cleaning is needed, it is best to consult a professional on the safest cleaning methods.
Conclusion
If you have William Henry Harrison dollar coins, they are not worth more than their face value in circulated condition because of the high mint volume. Even in mint state condition, they rarely sell for more than a few hundred dollars at most.
However, there are always exceptions. In addition, as time passes, mint state specimens may become rarer and therefore more valuable so if you have W.H. Harrison dollar coins in MS grades, it may be worth holding onto them and looking after them properly.
