Rare 2007 Sacagawea Dollar Errors (List & Pictures)
A Denver Sacagawea dollar carrying Presidential edge inscriptions realized $17,161.10 in July 2012. This guide to 2007 Sacagawea dollar errors covers that unusual combination, with an estimated $15,000–$30,000 range for a comparable authenticated coin.
Begin with the portrait and eagle, then read the entire edge to see whether two different dollar-production steps met on one coin.
2007 Dollar Words on an edge that should be plain: Presidential edge lettering Error
Hold a normal 2007 Sacagawea dollar beside a 2007 Presidential dollar and compare their sides. Only the Presidential issue should have recessed inscriptions around its edge.
The reported Denver error combines Sacagawea and her child on the front with the flying eagle on the back. Its edge, however, received the date, mint mark, and mottoes used for Presidential dollars.
This mismatch arose in a separate lettering operation after the two main designs had been struck. It did not require a Presidential portrait die or a different reverse die.
One especially useful clue is IN GOD WE TRUST in two places. The normal wording remains on the Sacagawea front, while the additional inscription runs around the side.
How to Identify
First confirm the year on the front and the D beneath it. The documented discovery was a Denver coin, so a different mint mark would need its own supporting evidence.
Turn the dollar over and look for the flying eagle. A later Native American reverse belongs to another issue and should not be judged from this example alone.
Read all the way around the edge rather than stopping at the first word. Record the date, mint mark, and both mottoes, and photograph the lettering in overlapping sections.
The inscriptions should be cut into the surface, not stand above it. Compare their letter shapes and spacing with an ordinary 2007 Presidential dollar.
A plain edge on the Sacagawea coin is normal for this year. The error is the presence of extra inscriptions, so the absence of words does not make an ordinary example valuable.
Matching wording is only the first check because lettering can be added after a coin leaves the Mint. A specialist needs to examine the grooves and surrounding metal before a new discovery can be compared with the certified piece.
What It’s Worth
A comparable authenticated example has an estimated value of $15,000–$30,000.
The discovery coin sold through GreatCollections for $17,161.10 in July 2012, a result reported by Coin World. That recorded transaction provides a firmer reference than an asking price for an unverified find.
PCGS confirmed the Denver coin in 2007 and graded it MS62. That grade describes an unworn coin with noticeable surface marks.
PCGS also paid a $10,000 discovery reward. The reward was separate from the later auction and is not part of the $17,161.10 selling price.
The estimate applies to a coin whose incorrect lettering can be shown to come from Mint production. An ordinary dollar with later additions does not gain the discovery coin’s value merely by repeating the same words.
Conclusion
The key comparison is between the correct Sacagawea faces and an incorrect lettered edge. Check the front date and D, confirm the eagle, then document the recessed inscriptions around the entire side.
Duplicated IN GOD WE TRUST wording makes the mismatch easy to understand. The recorded auction concerns one certified Denver example, so any new find still needs its own examination before that price becomes a useful comparison.
