2007-S Jefferson Presidential $1 Coin Proof : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes ….

Thomas Jefferson: A Life and Enduring Legacy

Born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell Plantation in Colonial Virginia, Thomas Jefferson entered the world as the eldest of ten children in a prosperous, slaveholding family. At the tender age of 14, young Jefferson inherited a substantial portion of his father’s estate, including 52 enslaved individuals. Under the careful guardianship of his father’s friend, John Harvie, Jefferson pursued his education, enrolling in the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. There, he immersed himself in mathematics, philosophy, and politics, before reading law under the tutelage of George Wythe and gaining admission to the Virginia Bar in 1767.

As a slaveowner, a member of the House of Burgesses, and a lawyer, Jefferson did advocate for reforms to the institution of slavery, yet faced opposition from other slaveholding members.

In 1776, Jefferson assumed the pivotal role of principal author for the Declaration of Independence, a landmark document in human history that eloquently asserted human rights and laid the foundational principles of American self-government. During the Revolutionary War, Jefferson served two one-year terms as Governor of Virginia, notably relocating the state capital from Williamsburg to Richmond – a journey of approximately 70 miles from his Monticello home, then roughly a three-day travel distance.

Following the war, Jefferson served in the Congress of the Confederation, contributing to the establishment of a national currency. Several of his visionary ideas, including the decimal currency system, were formally adopted by the United States Congress in 1792. Jefferson also dedicated efforts to policies concerning westward settlement, an issue that would prove highly significant during his future presidential terms. From 1784 to 1789, Jefferson represented American interests in Paris as the United States’ Ambassador to France, returning to the United States shortly after the French Revolution began. Americans looked favorably upon the populist French uprising at first, but recoiled in horror at the scale of the atrocities that were carried out during the Reign of Terror. Even Jefferson, who found himself aligned with the more radical elements at first, denounced the excesses and public executions carried out by the revolutionary government.

From 1790 to 1793, Jefferson served as Washington’s first Secretary of State. In 1796, he narrowly lost the presidency to his political rival, John Adams, an outcome that led to the seemingly incongruous arrangement of Jefferson serving in opposition as Vice President – a scenario all but unthinkable in modern American politics.

Jefferson ultimately served two terms as President, decisively defeating Adams in a rematch of the 1796 contest. Dubbed “The Revolution of 1800,” Jefferson’s victory inaugurated an era of Democratic-Republican dominance that persisted until the close of the 1820s.

Jefferson’s presidency was undeniably consequential. Beyond the monumental Louisiana Purchase, which effectively doubled the size of the nascent nation, Jefferson worked diligently to reduce the national debt, pardoned those imprisoned under the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts, endeavored to rein in the Bank of the United States, and established the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point. Although he sought to annex Florida from Spain, this particular ambition remained unfulfilled.

While Jefferson’s tenure as the nation’s chief executive may not possess the majestic precedent-setting aura of Washington’s, the nation-preserving gravity of Lincoln’s, or the civilization-saving scope of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s, it is safe to assert that few presidents, beyond these three, have exerted as profound and positive an impact on the welfare of the nation as Thomas Jefferson.

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How the 2007-S Thomas Jefferson $1 Coin Proof was Sold

The most common ordering options for the 2007-S Thomas Jefferson Presidential Dollar were the 2007 United States Mint Clad and Silver Proof Sets, which featured one of every coin issued for circulation in 2007. The Sacagawea Dollar was housed alongside the Lincoln Memorial Cent, Jefferson Nickel (Monticello Reverse Resumed), Roosevelt Dime, and Kennedy Half Dollar Proofs in one plastic holder, while State Quarters for Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, and Utah were housed in a second holder.

The 2007 Presidential Dollar Proof Sets, featuring George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, originally came in packaging with an oil painting backdrop of the U.S. flag and the Constitution. The same packaging was also used for the standalone Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set, which debuted on June 15, 2007, for $14.95.

Today, these standalone Presidential $1 Coin Proof Sets typically retail for under $10, with some sales reported as low as $4 (face value!). For collectors primarily interested in acquiring the 2007 dollar coins, these sets remain the most economical choice.

Another option for collectors was the Presidential $1 Coin Historical Signature Set. Released in 2008 for $19.95, this set was a collaboration with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). It included an intaglio-printed copy of Jefferson’s signature, provided by the White House Historical Association. These sets now sell for around $12.

The Certified Market: Proof 69 vs. Proof 70

NGC and PCGS have collectively graded over 64,000 examples of the 2007-S Thomas Jefferson Presidential Dollar. The vast majority of these coins receive grades of Proof 69 or Proof 70 Deep Cameo/Ultra Cameo.

In the modern certified coin market, collectors strongly prefer Proof 70 over Proof 69. This preference stems from the perception that a “perfect” 70-graded coin is flawless. However, grading companies employ a very narrow definition for this top grade, often grading these modern coins in bulk with human graders making certification decisions under low magnification. This practice highlights a significant inefficiency in the rare coin market, particularly for ultra-modern issues, and a tighter standard could be implemented with machine learning and precision optical tools.

Modern Proof coins certified as Proof 69 often trade for barely more than their raw (uncertified) counterparts. Here, the cost of certification exceeds the coin’s retail value, a phenomenon we refer to as the Terminal Grade problem in the economics of modern coin certification. For market makers, Proof 70 Deep Cameo/Ultra Cameo is essentially the only viable grade. Still there, it’s a low-profit proposition.

Most 2007-S Thomas Jefferson Presidential Dollars were certified shortly after their release when excitement for the new series was at its peak. Today, these certified coins typically sell for $20 or less, a price point often below standard submission costs. Bulk submitters likely receive discounted rates that allow them to break even. Consequently, the NGC and PCGS censuses have seen minimal additions of the 2007-S Thomas Jefferson Presidential Dollar in Proof 70 since at least September 2024. To date, CAC has yet to certify a single example. Recent eBay sales indicate that Proof 70 examples typically fetch $10-$20, a price point that has remained relatively stable over the past decade.

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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS PR70DCAM (1,882, 7/2025), NGC PF70UCAM (9,561, 7/2025), and CAC N/A (7/2025).

• NGC PF70UCAM: eBay, July 21, 2025 – $9.99. 1 bid.
• PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, July 20, 2025 – 18.50. 9 bids.
• NGC PF70UCAM: eBay, July 13, 2025 – $11.00. 2 bids.
• NGC PF70UCAM: eBay, July 9, 2025 – $6.50. 6 bids.
• PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, July 7, 2025 – $32. Buy It Now.
• NGC PF70UCAM: eBay, June 30, 2025 – $17.79. Buy It Now.

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Design

Obverse:

A front-facing effigy of Thomas Jefferson, designed by now-Chief Engraver Joseph Menna, dominates the obverse. The inscription THOMAS JEFFERSON runs clockwise along the top, while the inscriptions 3rd PRESIDENT | 1801 – 1809 run counterclockwise at the bottom. Menna’s initials JFM are at the corner of Jefferson’s left collar (viewer’s right).

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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