2013-P Woodrow Wilson Presidential $1 Coin : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes ….

The Presidential Dollar Coin Program, authorized by Public Law 109-145 and launched in 2007, was conceived to honor the former Presidents of the United States in the order they served, featuring their portraits on the obverse and a common image of the Statue of Liberty on the reverse. The program sought to revitalize the U.S. dollar coin program, imbuing it with an annual chase (akin to the excitement surrounding the initial years of the 50 State Quarters Program), while providing Americans with a spendable history lesson. However, the economic and practical realities of the program doomed the refresh of the dollar coin as a circulating medium and fundamentally shifted the focus of the later releases, which were struck in limited quantities for the numismatic market.

The 28th coin in the series, honored the nation’s 28th President, Woodrow Wilson.

Wilson’s Life and Problematic Legacy

Thomas Woodrow Wilson (served 1913–1921) was an intellectual visionary, a powerful reformer who established the Federal Reserve and championed global democracy, yet he was also the president who institutionalized systemic segregation within the federal government and whose policies contributed directly to the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. The coin’s relegation to a niche, non-circulating status unintentionally mirrors how easily the critical, damaging aspects of Wilson’s history—particularly his racism—are often compartmentalized, existing primarily within specialized academic or collector discourse rather than general public consciousness.

Wilson’s career began in the world of academia, centering on political economy and public law, which profoundly influenced his structural approach to governance. After teaching at Bryn Mawr and Wesleyan, he returned to Princeton University in 1890, where he spent 12 years as a professor before becoming the school’s 13th President. During his eight-year administrative tenure, Wilson transformed Princeton from a local college into a major research university, implementing curricular reforms and significantly increasing the size of the faculty. This early period established his reputation as a committed institutional reformer capable of translating intellectual ideals into profound organizational change.

However, this commitment to progress was profoundly undercut by his adherence to racial exclusion. As Princeton’s president, Wilson actively discouraged African American applicants and later attempted to erase records of previous Black attendance, actions that contributed to Princeton becoming the last Ivy League school to racially integrate in 1947. This paradoxical dynamic—where systematic improvement coexisted with deep-seated racial hierarchy—followed him into politics. After leaving Princeton, he served a brief but impactful term as Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913, during which he successfully enacted Progressive legislation, including primary election laws and public utilities reform, cementing his legitimacy as a powerful and effective leader ahead of his national campaign.

Upon entering the White House, Wilson immediately launched a crusade of Progressive domestic reform targeting the economic structure of the nation. His first term yielded two of the most consequential legislative achievements of the era. He signed the Underwood Tariff Act in 1913, which drastically reduced tariffs and, crucially, implemented the first modern federal income tax, levied primarily on the richest three percent of the population. Simultaneously, he navigated bitter political opposition to broker the complex compromise that resulted in the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, establishing the modern U.S. central banking system to stabilize finance and manage the nation’s credit, a feat that demonstrated remarkable political flexibility.

Globally, Wilson is renowned for his leadership during World War I, overseeing the first American “total war” mobilization, financed by Liberty Loans and the new income tax. Following the conflict, he articulated his ambitious vision for a new global order in his Fourteen Points, which advocated for free trade, self-determination, and, most importantly, the creation of an international body dedicated to diplomacy: the League of Nations. This plan, reflecting Wilson’s high idealism, represented his hope for a lasting peace that would prevent future global conflicts and enshrine democratic principles around the world.

Despite his grand international vision, Wilson’s legacy is defined by both political tragedy and institutionalized racism. His uncompromising refusal to accept reservations to the Treaty of Versailles, compounded by his incapacitation from a major stroke in 1919, led directly to the Senate rejecting the treaty and the U.S. failing to join the League of Nations. Domestically, his administration resegregated the federal civil service in 1913, causing a measurable increase in the Black–white earnings gap and significant demotions for Black employees. Furthermore, his passive complicity in promoting the racist film The Birth of a Nation provided crucial legitimacy that fueled the resurgence of the second Ku Klux Klan. Wilson’s tenure thus remains a devastating paradox, showcasing an intellectual giant who created lasting structures of financial stability while simultaneously building structures of systemic racial oppression.

Collecting the 2013-P Wilson Dollar

In December 2011, the Secretary of the Treasury directed the United States Mint to suspend the production of Presidential Dollars for general circulation. This decision was necessitated by a vast existing stockpile of $1 coins held by Federal Reserve Banks. Consequently, the coins issued from 2012 onward—including the 2013 Woodrow Wilson Dollar—were struck only in the quantity required to satisfy collector demand, transforming them from potential utility currency into specialized numismatic products sold directly by the U.S. Mint.

The 2013 $1 Uncirculated Set, containing four coins each from the Philadelphia (“P” mint mark) and Denver (“D” mint mark) facilities, was made available to collectors starting March 7, 2013.6 Since the coins were suspended from circulation, they were acquired exclusively through numismatic offerings by the U.S. Mint, specifically in bags, rolls, or uncirculated sets, all sold at a premium above face value. Due to this, the majority of the 4,620,000-coin mintage of the 2013-P Wilson Dollar is expected to remain in uncirculated condition for the foreseeable future. When fresh, these coins exhibit a lustrous golden appearance. Over time, this color may become dull and tarnished.

Design

Obverse:

The obverse features a detailed portrait of Woodrow Wilson, designed by Don Everhart, along with the inscriptions “Woodrow Wilson,” “28th President 1913-1921,” and IN GOD WE TRUST (the latter motto having been moved to the obverse starting in 2009 after public controversy).

Common Reverse:

Don Everhart’s reverse design features an ant’s-eye view of the Statue of Liberty offset to the left. On the coin, Liberty occupies the bottom right quadrant of the coin, her extended elbow being the coin’s center point. The design is framed by a thin inner circle, which separates the graphic design from the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Beneath Liberty’s extended torch-bearing arm is the denomination $1. This is the common reverse design for all Presidential Dollar coins.

Edge:

The edge of the Presidential Dollar is lettered and features the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM, the mintmark, the year of issuance, and 13 five-pointed stars. This edge inscription may be oriented facing the obverse (Position A) or the reverse (Position B).

Coin Specifications

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