2008-P Martin Van Buren Presidential $1 Coin : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes ….

The 2008-P Martin Van Buren Presidential Dollar is a one-dollar coin struck at the Philadelphia Mint as part of the Presidential Dollar series. Congress intended to release these designs honoring America’s past Presidents to engage the American public with the nation’s history and reinvigorate the flagging golden dollar coin program.

The Van Buren Dollar was the fourth and final release of the year, joining dollar coins honoring James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson.

Martin Van Buren’s Complicated Legacy

Martin Van Buren was the eighth president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841. Van Buren, whose first language was Dutch, was the first president born on United States soil, one of only two to ascend to the presidency without ever having served in the military or attended college, the first to have an indoor toilet, and is credited by some as the inventor of the modern two-party system.

Van Buren was a savvy politician who rose up the ranks of New York politics before making a name for himself in Washington, first as Secretary of State in the Jackson Administration and then as Jackson’s Vice President. As Vice President, Van Buren was Jackson’s trusted ally, and he continued many of Jackson’s policies during his presidency, including the brutal Indian Removal Act. However, he did advocate for broader democratic participation. He sought to resolve a simmering conflict involving Canadian separatists, which was threatening to drag the United States into a war with England.

The 2008-P Martin Van Buren Presidential Dollar Coin Design

United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) participant Joel Iskowitz based his design for the Martin Van Buren Presidential Dollar on artist George Peter Alexander Healy’s official 1858 portrait of the President. The design shows Van Buren facing forward, wearing a suit jacket, dress shirt, and cravat. Van Buren’s contemporaries were well aware of his short stature. At 5’6″, Van Buren was considerably shorter than Jackson and just two inches taller than the nation’s shortest president, James Madison, who stood 5’4″. It was partly because of his height that Van Buren’s contemporaries called him the “Little Magician.” Without the benefit of seeing the man in person, Americans now most remember him as the president with the massive sideburns; photographs taken late in life show a man with wild, untamed hair.

Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill sculpted Iskowitz’s design.

2008-D Martin Van Buren, Satin Finish

In 2008, the U.S. Mint produced coins with a Satin Finish for its annual Uncirculated Coin Sets, posing a challenge for collectors. Traditionally, collectors focused on business strike coins and Proofs to build their collections. They now faced a choice: accept Satin Finish Mint Set coins as sufficient, seek circulation strike coins, or collect both.

One positive aspect of the Satin-Finish subset of coins is that the Mint struck them with more care than typical business strikes. Because of this, it is not unusual for these coins to grade SP68 and sometimes SP69. However, this comes with a trade-off: the luster is more subdued as the Satin Finish makes the Mint Set coins less reflective.

* * *

Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS MS67 (97, 5/2025), NGC MS69 (12, 5/2025), and CAC N/A (5/2025).

• Original Uncirculated Roll (25 Coins): eBay, March 14, 2025 – $33.26. Buy It Now.
• Original Uncirculated Roll (25 Coins): eBay, March 2, 2025 – $33.95. Buy It Now
• NGC Brilliant Uncirculated: eBay, April 13, 2025 – $9. 1 Bid.

* * *

Satin Finish Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS SP69 (39, 5/2025), NGC MS69 (6, 5/2025), and CAC N/A (5/2025).

• CoinWeek Estimate: $5

Design

Obverse Inscriptions:

Martin Van Buren faces forward. His name is emblazoned at the top of the design, while the inscription 8th PRESIDENT 1837-1841 is placed below the portrait. The initials JI (Joel Iskowitz) and PH (Phebe Hemphill) appear on Van Buren’s lapels.

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, 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

* * *