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William Henry Harrison was the shortest-serving president in US history – he only lasted 31 days! But like all our deceased presidents, he was honored in the Presidential Dollar Series. His coins were minted in Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, but we’re going to focus on Philadelphia. Let’s learn more to verify the 2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar Value.

2009 P William Henry Harrison Dollar Price Chart

Coin

Mint Mark

Type

Grade

Price

2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar Position A Philadelphia Business Strike MS 68 $6,000
2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar Position B Philadelphia Business Strike MS 68 $6,500
2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar Satin Finish Position A Philadelphia Special Strike SP 69 $460
2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar Satin Finish Position B Philadelphia Special Strike SP 69 $260

 

History of the 2009 P William Henry Harrison Dollar

William Henry Harrison was the 9th President of the United States, and his coin was released in February 2009. It was the first Presidential Dollar that year, and you can learn more about it on Coin Value Checker. Back in 1841, he was the last British-born president of the USA and the first to die in office. Although he was only in charge for a month, his lineage was fruitful.

His death caused quite a mix-up since the government didn’t have a formal succession plan just yet. But even before that, he had a healthy political career, serving as a governor, senator, minister, secretary, and House Representative for Indiana, Ohio, and the North West Territory. He also had a military background and was highly respected. He died at 68.

Features of the 2009 P William Henry Harrison Dollar

Numismatics (the study and trade of coins, medals, and tokens) has its own preferred industry lingo, so let’s learn the top terms. Coins are minted on blank discs called planchets, with the heads side known as the obverse, the tails side referred to as the reverse, and the skinny side known as the edge. It can have ridges called reeds, or it can be smooth/plain.

The edge might also have some writing on it, aka edge lettering or edge inscriptions. Any words on a coin are called mottos or legends, while the images are devices. The coin backdrop is called the field. Most coins have a raised border called a rim or collar. Coins can also have initials to identify the designer and mint location, as well as mint dates and other details.

Obverse of the 2009 P William Henry Harrison Dollar

The obverse (heads side) has a portrait of William Henry Harrison with his face at an angle and both eyes showing. His name runs along the rim over his head, while the motto In God We Trust is under the device, followed by the legend’s 9th President and his term, 1841. The designer’s initials, JFM for Chief Engraver Joseph Francis Menna, are on his right shoulder.

Reverse of the 2009 P William Henry Harrison Dollar

Like all Presidential Dollars, the reverse (tails side) of this coin shows the Statue of Liberty partially encircled in a ring. Outside the ring is the legend United States of America, curving around her profile. The denomination $1 is under the torch on the lower left of the coin. The designer’s initials, DE for Don Everhart, are on the lower right inside Lady Liberty’s tablet.

Other Features of the 2009 P William Henry Harrison Dollar

The 2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar was minted in Philadelphia, hence the P Mint Mark. They made 43,260,000. The coin measures 26.49mm across (1”) and is 2mm thick. It weighs 8.1g and contains 2% nickel, 3.5% manganese, 6% zinc, and 88.5% copper combined.

The core is pure copper, while manganese brass coats the outer layers. The edge of this coin is inscribed with 13 five-pointed stars to represent the first 13 states that joined the Union. It also has the motto E Pluribus Unum, mint date 2009, and the mint mark P for Philadelphia.

Value of the 2009 P William Henry Harrison Dollar

Presidential Dollars are described as Position A and Position B. This is because, on half the coins, the edge lettering is upright (B), while on the other half, it’s upside-down (A). Why? Well, when the coins went into the Schuler Incusion Machine for edge inscription, some coins landed face-up while others landed face-down, dictating the direction of the writing.

Meanwhile, some coins were accidentally fed into the incusion machine twice, so their edge inscriptions got doubled. If the writing was in the same direction both times, that caused a Doubled Edge Lettering Overlap Error. But if the coin flipped on its second incusion pass, the writing went in opposite directions, causing an Inverted Doubled Edge Lettering Error.

Also, on occasion, the mint forgets to pass a coin through the incusion machine, so it ends up with a blank edge. This is called the Missing Edge Lettering Error. Other errors include Weak Edge Lettering and Partial Edge Lettering. Mint mistakes can raise the price of a coin, so it’s helpful to recognise them. Let’s look at the 2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar Value.

2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar Position A Value

In April 2010, a 2009-P graded MS 68 sold for $1,840. PCGS has only seen two of these so far, but it has received over 200 coins graded MS 67. This puts their price estimate at $46 in June 2023. PCGS has also seen two submissions of MS 68 coins issued on the first day, 19th February 2009. The rarity of these coins means their current price estimate is $6,000 each.

2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar Position B Value

The record sale for a 2009-P graded MS 67 was $69 in April 2022. That was an eBay sale, but the price guidance on PCGS differs slightly. With a little over 200 coins graded MS 67, the current estimate is $50. If you can verify that your coin was a First Day Issue, it’s a lot more valuable. PCGS only has two MS 68 coins, so their 2023 estimate stands at $6,500.

2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar Satin Finish Position A Value

In 2009, proof coins were only minted in San Francisco with the S Mint Mark. But Denver and Philadelphia did produce Special Strike coins with a Satin Finish. The coins used pre-burnished planchets and were aimed at collectors. An SP 67 was only $10 on eBay in May 2023. But PCGS has received a dozen SP 69 submissions, so their pricing estimate is $460.

2009-P William Henry Harrison Dollar Satin Finish Position B Value

While Position A and Position B coins typically have a 50-50 split, PCGS has received more Bs than As. As a result, with 20 coins graded SP 69, their value estimate for 2023 is $260. eBay seems to have followed this guideline since an SP 69 sold for that exact price in August 2021. Less than a decade earlier, in January 2013, an NGC-Graded SP 69 was only worth $91.