We have heard it a million times by now how the commemorative coin program from the United States Mint in the 1990s was floundering. Not only were there an astronomical number of issues, but their sales were less than satisfactory. However, there was one issue that was not to be lost among the shuffle as per Congress. Authors of Whitman Publishing’s fourth edition of the 100 Greatest United States Modern Coins, Jeff Garrett and Scott Schechter, help guide us through the understanding of the silver dollar intended to break through the noise and the unexpected addition that gave it the boost it needed.
#16 – 1997-P Jefferson Nickel, Matte “Special Uncirculated”
Despite the incredible number of issues stemming from the United States Mint’s commemorative program in the 1990s, one became of very special interest to Congress: the 1997 U.S. Botanic Garden commemorative dollar. The garden itself sits at the base of Capitol Hill and is the oldest steadily operated garden in the United States. Afraid it would get lost in the shuffle, Congress took extra measures to ensure that funds could be raised through the sales of the coin.
In the same year of 1997, the Jackie Robinson commemorative coins were set to go on sale later. However, Senator J. Bennett Johnson, whose wife was a vice chairman of the National Fund for the U.S. Botanic Garden, was adamant about blocking those coins unless a share of the proceeds raised from their sale were used to support the Botanic Gardens. This was quite a controversy as sales from the Robinson commemoratives were meant to raise money for the Jackie Robinson Foundation in support of college scholarships to inner city kids. Instead, it went to the garden.
Regardless of all the behind-the-scenes rigmarole, the Botanic Garden coins ended up outselling the Jackie Robinson commemoratives. However, it was not the dollar commemorative that drew collectors in but the 1997-P Jefferson nickel Matte “Special Uncirculated” coin. To stimulate sales, the Mint offered a coin and currency set that included the specially struck Jefferson nickel. The coin has a matte finish with the P mintmark as it was struck at Philadelphia. The addition of the Jefferson nickel reflected Thomas Jefferson’s, along with the other founding fathers, idea of what botanic gardens could be. Only 25,000 sets were produced and the only way to get the special nickel was through the set. They sold out completely.
Due to sale being limited to the set, the nickels are usually found, even today, in exceptional condition.
This coin has moved down just one spot since its first appearance in Whitman Publishing’s first edition at #15.