The 2007 John Adams dollar is the second issue in the Presidential $1 coin program, which launched in 2007.
Depicting each of the deceased former United States presidents in the order they served, the Presidential $1 coin series has produced several error coins that are worth big bucks.
And like the 2007 George Washington dollar errors that came before, the John Adams dollar error coins are also rare and valuable!
So, which 2007 John Adams dollar coin errors should you be looking for? And how much are John Adams dollar coins without any errors worth?
Here’s the scoop on John Adams dollar coins…
The Most Valuable John Adams Dollar Coins
You’re probably hoping to find a rare John Adams dollar coin in your loose change. So let’s see if you’ve got a 2007 John Adams dollar with an error or variety — such as one of these:
Missing Edge Lettering
Just like many of the George Washington dollar coins made a little earlier in 2007, some John Adams dollars were also mistakenly struck without edge lettering.
The absence of edge lettering on some of these coins also led to the accidental omission of the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” — which was struck on the edges of 2007 Presidential $1 coins. Some collectors dub these 2007 plain edge dollar errors Godless dollars, as they lack the obvious reference to God.
These so-called Godless dollars (or plain edge errors) are rare coins. And a John Adams dollar that’s missing edge lettering is quite a find, too — with values of $100 or more!
Doubled Edge Lettering
Officials at the U.S. Mint tried very hard not to repeat the Godless dollar mistake encountered with George Washington dollars. That certainly didn’t work out too well, though. Some of the John Adams dollars missed the edge lettering phase of striking, resulting in even more Godless dollars in circulation.
Guess what else? In an attempt to avoid the Godless dollar mistake, some John Adams dollars ran through the edge lettering press twice. This double stamping of the edge lettering resulted in overlapped lettering that some collectors call the “Typewriter Edge” error.
These valuable doubled edge dollar errors are worth $30 and up.
Inverted Doubled Edge Lettering
And those John Adams dollars that were fed through the edge lettering press twice?…
Sometimes they were oriented different directions on each of their two passes:
- Once with the lettering oriented upward toward the president’s portrait
- And the other time with the lettering facing the other way
This rare error is worth $50 or more.
Other John Adams Dollar Coin Errors
In addition to the popular missing lettering or doubled edge lettering dollars, there are many other rare and valuable 2007 John Adams errors to look for:
Strike-Through Errors
Sometimes grease, metal fragments, or other foreign material gets into the dies. When this happens, the coin won’t be completely struck.
A strike through error involving, say, grease will obscure much of the detail on the coin — perhaps even causing some letters or other important design elements to go missing.
Strike through errors involving cloth threads, metal shards, or other rigid debris can cause all kinds of crazy results on the struck coin.
Values for Presidential $1 coins with these weird errors range all over the board:
- More common grease-filled die errors with only some letters or light interruptions to the design may be worth $5 or $10.
- Dramatic strike-through errors involving nails, staples, and other odd debris can take $150 or more.
Broadstruck Errors
When a Presidential $1 coin wasn’t properly struck inside its retaining collar on the press, the new coin flattened out and became much wider and thinner than ordinary specimens. These errors are known as broadstruck coins — and they’re worth a bundle, too!
A John Adams broadstruck error dollar can command as much $500, sometimes more.
Off-Center Errors
Presidential $1 coins that weren’t struck perfectly centered become collectible error coins.
Some off-center coins are more relatively common than others — and when it comes to Presidential $1 coins, off-center errors are really quite rare!
Off-center John Adams dollars are worth $1,000 or more.
How Much Is A Normal John Adams Dollar Coin Worth?
While you’re on the hunt for rare and valuable Presidential $1 error coins (like those mentioned above), you’re more likely to find normal John Adams dollars in your pocket change.
So… what are these worth?
“P” And “D” Mintmarks
These are the most common John Adams dollars and were produced for circulation. A total of 112,420,000 were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with the “P” mintmark, while 112,140,000 were made at the Denver Mint with a “D” mintmark.
- Circulated examples of the “P” and “D” versions without errors are worth face value and are safe to spend as money.
- Uncirculated “P” and “D” John Adams dollars are worth $1.50 and up.
“S” Mintmark Proofs
The San Francisco Mint struck 3,965,989 proofs with an “S” mintmark.
These coins were included in proof sets for coin collectors and weren’t intended for circulation. They’re worth $3 and up.
5 Tips For Finding Valuable John Adams Dollars
If you want to find a rare John Adams dollar coin error, here are 5 ways to improve your odds:
#1 – Check coin rolls and coin bags. Rolls of John Adams dollars contain 25 coins. Bags generally contain at least 250 coins.
#2 – Look through your loose change and coin jars. Come across any Presidential $1 coins that you threw aside in the coin jar? It’s time to take them out and see if any have errors!
#3 – Carefully inspect proof sets and uncirculated sets. Many collectors have found some incredible errors in these popular annual U.S. Mint products. So, be sure to thoroughly check your 2007 proof sets and 2007 mint sets for any John Adams dollar errors they may happen to contain.
#4 – Make sure you have a coin loupe or magnifying glass handy. Some of the less-obvious errors are better seen with a magnifying glass or coin loupe of 5x power or better.
#5 – Check all areas of the coin. Don’t just look at the obverse (front) or reverse (back) of your dollar coins. Remember, some of the most valuable John Adams dollar coin errors involve the edges!
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century.
I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek.
I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
