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The edge-incused inscriptions found on Presidential $1 Coins include the year of minting or issuance,
"E Pluribus Unum," "In God We Trust" and the mint mark. However, there are two
processes for producing the edge-incused lettering and each produces a different result.
Due to the minting process used on the circulating and "uncirculated" quality coins, the
edge-incused inscription positions will vary with each coin.
The Presidential $1 Coins are inscribed on the edge without regard to their "heads" or
"tails" orientation. In addition, the location of the inscriptions around the circumference
of the coin with relation to the obverse and reverse designs will vary as well. This is because the
United States Mint incuses these inscriptions on the edge of each coin at the second step of a
two-step coining process.
In the first step, the blanks are fed into a coining machine which strikes the obverse and reverse
designs onto the coins, and dispenses the coins into a large bin. In the second step, the bin is
transported to the edge-incusing machine, into which the coins are fed at random, without regard to
their "heads" or "tails" orientation.
Therefore, statistically, approximately one-half of the coins produced will have edge-lettering
oriented toward the "heads" side (obverse), and approximately one-half of the coins will
have the edge-incused inscriptions oriented toward the "tails" side (reverse).
The minting process used to manufacture the Presidential $1 Proof Coins is a one-step coining
process that allows the edge lettering to appear in a consistent location on every proof coin.
Using a three-piece collar, the edge lettering on the proof coins is incused in the edge of the
coin at the same time that the obverse and reverse design are being struck onto the blank planchet.
This method produces edge-incused lettering that will always appear right side up when the coin
is showing its "heads" side. Furthermore, the location of the lettering will always be
in the same location on the circumference of the coin with relation to the obverse and reverse
designs. In addition, the proof coins will each bear a faint demarcation line where the three
segments that make up the edge lettering collar are joined.
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