2010-D Millard Fillmore Presidential $1 Coin : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes ….

The 2010-D Millard Fillmore Presidential Dollar is a one-dollar coin struck at the Denver 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 Fillmore Dollar was the first release of the year and was later joined by dollar coins honoring Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln. Circulation quality versions of the design were struck at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. A Proof version was struck at the San Francisco Mint. The 2010-D (Denver) version can be identified by the presence of the D mintmark on the coin’s edge, while the 2010-P (Philadelphia) version has a P mintmark.

The Last of the Whigs

Millard Fillmore, the 13th U.S. President, rose from humble beginnings in a New York log cabin, largely self-educated, to become a lawyer and enter politics. His early career saw him serve in the New York State Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives, eventually joining the nascent Whig Party, formed in opposition to Andrew Jackson. His political trajectory led him to the vice presidency in 1848, balancing the Whig ticket as a Northerner alongside Zachary Taylor.

Fillmore’s ascension to the presidency on July 9, 1850, following Taylor’s sudden death, placed him at the helm of a nation deeply fractured by the escalating sectional crisis over slavery. His presidency would prove pivotal in the swift decline of the Whig Party and significantly shape his enduring, often criticized, legacy.

At the core of his presidency was his staunch support for and rigorous enforcement of the Compromise of 1850. While Fillmore genuinely believed this legislative package was crucial for preserving the Union, its effects were profoundly divisive. The Compromise admitted California as a free state, organized the New Mexico and Utah territories with popular sovereignty, and, most controversially, enacted the Fugitive Slave Act.

The Fugitive Slave Act, which mandated federal assistance in the capture and return of escaped enslaved people, was a poison pill for the Whig Party. Fillmore’s unwavering commitment to enforcing this law deeply alienated anti-slavery Northerners, who viewed it as a betrayal of their principles and a moral outrage. This enforcement, more than any other action, exacerbated the internal divisions within the Whig Party, effectively tearing it apart along North-South lines. The party, already a coalition of disparate interests, could not reconcile the irreconcilable differences over slavery, and Fillmore’s actions pushed it past the point of no return.

The fallout was immediate and catastrophic for the Whigs. By 1852, the party was so fractured that Fillmore, the incumbent president, failed to secure its nomination for a full term. This failure underscored the depth of the party’s demise, directly attributable to the Compromise and Fillmore’s role in its implementation. The Whig Party, once a formidable political force, rapidly disintegrated in the years following Fillmore’s presidency, largely unable to recover from the wounds inflicted by the slavery debate and the ill-fated Compromise.

Fillmore’s presidential legacy is inextricably linked to this period of national crisis and the collapse of the Whigs. Historians frequently view his single partial term through the lens of the escalating tensions that led to the Civil War. His belief that he had preserved the Union through the Compromise stands in stark contrast to the historical outcome, where his actions are often seen as having accelerated, rather than averted, the conflict by further entrenching sectional animosities. While some credit him with temporarily delaying secession, his enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act remains a significant blemish on his record, contributing to the perception of his presidency as a period of deepening national division.

Were it not for the even more disastrous presidencies of Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan, Fillmore’s partial term would be seen by historians as the worst in American history leading up to the Civil War.

After leaving office, Fillmore’s political career continued, though with little success, including an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1856 as the Know-Nothing Party candidate. His post-presidency involvement in civic life in Buffalo, including his role as the first chancellor of the University of Buffalo, provided a more positive aspect to his later years. However, his presidential legacy is primarily defined by his ill-fated attempts to navigate the treacherous waters of the slavery debate and his pivotal, albeit unintended, role in the downfall of the Whig Party.

Millard Fillmore died on March 8, 1874, in Buffalo, New York, at the age of 74, following a stroke.

Collecting the 2010-D Millard Fillmore Presidential Dollar

The Denver Mint produced 36,960,000 2010-D Millard Fillmore Presidential Dollars for circulation. The coin’s release was marked by a ceremony on February 18, 2010, at Moravia Central School in Moravia, New York. Despite a general decline in public interest for the Presidential Dollar coin program since its inception, the majority of the 2010-D Fillmore Dollars were distributed via the Federal Reserve Banking System for general circulation.

Collectors primarily acquired these coins through two main avenues: purchasing 25-coin rolls directly from the U.S. Mint’s website for $35.95, or by obtaining the 2010 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set. These sets, which contained one of each coin struck at both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints, had a face value of $13.82 and were sold for $31.95 (approximately $47.25 when adjusted for 2025 inflation). Currently, these sets typically retail for around $30, while individual 2010-P Fillmore Dollars are valued at approximately $3, unless they are certified.

Distinguishing Circulation vs. Mint Set Coins

It’s important to differentiate between the circulation-quality coins and those included in the 2010 Mint Set. From 2005 to 2010, the U.S. Mint utilized special dies and burnished blanks for coins destined for Mint Sets. This process resulted in a distinctive matte, satin-like finish, intended to ensure a uniform appearance for these sets. However, this practice elicited mixed reactions from collectors, many of whom felt obligated to purchase both coin rolls (for circulation strikes) and Mint Sets (for the unique satin finish specimens) to acquire both varieties for their collections.

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Circulation Strike Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS MS67 (3, 7/2025), NGC MS67 (5, 7/2025), and CAC N/A (7/2025).

• BU Bank Roll: eBay, July 11, 2025 – $32.86. Buy It Now.
• NGC BU: eBay, June 21, 2025 – $6. 1 Bid.
• Uncirculated: eBay, July 27, 2025 – $3.10. Buy It Now.

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Specimen Strike (Mint Set) Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS SP69 (5, 7/2025), NGC MS69 (53, 7/2025), and CAC N/A (7/2025).

• CoinWeek Estimate: $3.00.

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Design

Obverse Inscriptions:

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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