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Release date of James Polk Dollar: 08-20-09
James K. Polk, America’s eleventh president, was born in 1795 in North Carolina.
When he was a young boy, his family moved to the wilderness of Tennessee to
establish a plantation there. Trained as a lawyer, he served six terms in the
U.S. House of Representatives, including four years as Speaker of the House.
After leaving the House, he served as Tennessee governor.
Despite his many years of national service, he was relatively unknown when he
was nominated by the Democratic Party to run for president. He was the first
“dark-horse” candidate to be nominated by a major political party and won the
presidency by a slim margin over Henry Clay.
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| The James Polk Presidential Dollar. Release date: 08-20-09. United States Mint image |
Polk was a strong proponent of “Manifest Destiny,” the belief that the United
States had the right to expand throughout the entire continent. He oversaw the
growth of the country by more than one million square miles during his time in
office, including the annexation of present-day Oregon and Washington from Great
Britain. Through war with Mexico and the subsequent Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
California and New Mexico were added, and a Texas border on the Rio Grande was
established.
A hard worker who rarely delegated even minor tasks, he hardly took a day of
vacation while president. Having pledged to serve just one term, he left office
exhausted from the strains of the presidency. He died in Nashville, Tennessee,
in 1849, just three and a half months after leaving office.
Purchase a
James Polk Presidential Commemorative Coin.
Coinage Legislation under President James Polk:
Act of March 3, 1849 — This act authorizes the coinage of gold dollars and $20 Double Eagles.
United States Mint Directors appointed by President James Polk:
President Polk did not appoint a Director of the United States Mint.
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