2016-S Gerald Ford Presidential Dollar Proof : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes ….
In 2016, the Presidential Dollar Program–which began in 2007 with the release of a golden dollar coin honoring first President George Washington–had reached the point where the continuity of the series faltered at the legislative requirement that no Presidential Dollar feature a living current or former president, nor any former President that had passed away within two years. Because of this provision, 39th President Jimmy Carter was skipped and the United States Mint isused only three Presidential coins in 2016: Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, and Ronald W. Reagan.

The Mint unveiled the design for the Gerald Ford Presidential Dollar on December 15, 2015. Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill’s design depicts the president facing forward and slightly to the left and is likely modeled after David Hume Kennerly’s official portrait taken in 1975.

Gerald R. Ford’s Presidential Legacy

Gerald R. Ford is unique among U.S. presidents, as he is the only one to have obtained the office without being elected either President or Vice President. The mild-mannered midwestern politician, known in the House of Representatives as the “Congressman’s Congressman” achieved this distinction due to the unfolding scandals that engulfed the deeply corrupt Nixon Administration.

He was chosen to replace disgraced Vice President Spiro Agnew after Agnew resigned from office following a months-long scandal involving bribery, extortion, and tax fraud that began while he was serving as executive for the City of Baltimore and later as Governor of Maryland. Agnew tried to conceal his involvement but United States Attorney for the District of Maryland George Beall had evidence that Agnew was corrupt and was still taking kickbacks while serving as Vice President. Agnew resigned on October 10, 1973.

In terms of temperament, Agnew and Ford were worlds apart. Agnew was a rightwing firebrand who served as Nixon’s attack dog against the left, while Ford had built his career reconciling opposing sides of the aisle. His nomination passed through both houses of Congress on an overwhelming bipartisan basis.

Ford had not yet moved into the Vice President’s residence when Alexander Haig, Nixon’s Chief of Staff, met with him to tell him to prepare to take the office of the presidency. After months of denials about his involvement in the Watergate Hotel break-in, Nixon’s own tapes implicated him in the crime and cover-up. After Nixon’s staunchest supporters in Congress turned on him, the nation’s 37th President resigned in disgrace. Ford was sworn in on August 9, 1974.

As President, Ford resided over an economy in shambles, inflation at 12%, a growing budget deficit, and a Congress controlled by the opposition. Abroad, the collapse of South Vietnam and a crisis within NATO caused by Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus commanded his attention. Ford was able to ease Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union and China by continuing Nixon’s détente policies.

Ford’s most memorable act, however, was his September 18, 1974 pardon of Richard Nixon. This deeply unpopular action undermined an ongoing legal process that likely would have resulted in felony conviction and imprisonment of the former president and set a precedent that high crimes committed while in office may be wiped out by political allies as long as they have the pardon power. This decision, along with Reagan’s primary challenge against him in the 1976 race and Ford’s public persona as a klutz (hat tip to Chevy Chase) doomed his prospects for an elected term. Georgia Democrat Jimmy Carter defeated Ford in a close election that saw Ford take most of the Western states but lose large swaths of the industrial Midwest and South.

Collecting the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Dollar Proof

The 2016-S Gerald R. Ford Presidential Dollar Proof was sold through the United States Mint’s website as part of the 2016 United States Proof Sets (silver and clad versions) and as a standalone three-coin set. Sales for the clad set started on April 1 for $31.95. In its sales announcement, the Mint highlighted that it had reduced the price of the 2016 sets by $1 over the price of the previous year’s set. On a coin-by-coin basis, this actually signaled a price increase.

The 2016 United States Mint Proof Sets featured the three 2016-S Presidential Dollars in the same packaging that was used for the standalone Presidential Dollar Proof Sets. The Mint put this set on sale on February 16 at a price of $17.95 each. The circulated versions of the Ford Presidential Dollar were released on March 8.

As a standalone coin, the 2016-S Gerald Ford Presidential Dollar Proof trades at multiple levels. These levels are primarily differentiated by raw verses certified, and, if certified, being graded either Proof 69 or Proof 70. All regular Presidential Dollar Proofs are srtuck using a process that applies a Deep Cameo or Ultra Cameo frost on the devices. For Presidential Dollars struck using the Reverse Proof process, the cameo is applied to the fields and the devices are made brilliant.

Raw coins sold as singles have been taken out of sets and if properly handled will not by impaired. The typical problem-free example trades for about $5 to $6, while coins that exhibit hazy or spotted surfaces, or any other distracting features, may sell for as little as $2 or $3.

As the Mint employs high quality control standards, certified coins will almost always come in one of two grades: Proof 69 or Proof 70. Coins at these grades may appear virtually indistinguishable from one another to the untrained eye, but the grading services typically look for minor but normal imperfections that can be seen at up to 5x magnification.

Collectors today pay between $10 and $15 for a certified Proof 69 Ford Dollar. This is a price level below the cost of submission. Perfect 70s are more desirable and sell for a premium of about two-to-three times that of a 69. This is a typical price point across the entire series. Recent eBay sales range from $30 to $70 for a PCGS-graded coin. One recent NGC-certified coin concluded at $12.50 after seven bids. To date, CAC has not certified a single example of this issue.

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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS PR70DCAM (1,137, 10/2025), NGC PF70UCAM (2,702, 10/2025), and CAC N/A (10/2025).

• PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, April 7, 2025 – $64. 14 Bids.
• PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, March 31, 2025 – $36.88. Buy It Now.
• PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, March 2, 2025 – $59.95. Buy It Now.
• PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, February 5, 2025 – $36. 12 Bids.
• NGC PF70UCAM: eBay, January 29, 2025 – $12.50. 7 Bids. ANA 125th Anniversary Label.
• PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, January 16, 2025 – $69. 13 Bids.

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Design

Obverse:

Forward-left presentation of Ford’s portrait. The name GERALD R. FORD wraps around the top of the design, while the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, 38th PRESIDENT, and 1974-1977 wrap around the bottom in smaller text.

Common Reverse:

Don Everhart’s reverse design features an ant’s-eye view of the Statue of Liberty. 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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