Sacajawea Coin
Who was Sacajawea and how did she end up with her own Sacajawea Coin?
Sacajawea Coin
Sacajawea was a Native American woman. She belonged to the Shoshone tribe and spent her early years in what is now Idaho. When she was ten years old, she was kidnapped during a battle and taken to live in the Hidatsa village. It was located in what is now North Dakota. She was married at the age of thirteen to a French man who had another wife as well.
Lewis and Clark, who were leading the Corps of Discovery, came to the Hidatsa village. They wished to spend the winter there. They built a fort which was named Fort Mandan. Before they continued on their expedition, they wanted to hire some interpreters. They hired Sacajawea’s husband because they knew his wife would be able to speak the Shoshone language. They needed the help of the Shoshone people as they ventured up the Missouri River. Sacajawea was pregnant at the time.
After the explorers and Sacajawea left, history becomes somewhat fuzzy as to what happened to her. Most believe that she died at the age of 25. William Clark raised her children, although history is not sure whether Sacajawea’s husband was killed or whether he signed over custody of his children to Clark. Some say that Sacajawea survived and left her husband and was eventually remarried. There are some that believe that Sacajawea lived to be an old woman.
In 2000, the United States Mint first released the Sacajawea dollar coin to replace the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. Many people did not like the previous dollar coins because they were quite similar in appearance to quarters and easy to confuse. The Sacajawea dollar has a smooth edge, unlike the quarter. It is also a bright gold color. The coin shows Sacajawea and her young son. A Shoshone woman modeled for the coin because there are no known pictures of Sacajawea.
Unfortunately, the coin is not very popular with everyday Americans. The coins were released three times for circulation, although they are still being produced on a small scale. The coins are used frequently in New York City, however, as they are given as change in fare machines for the bus and subway system. Many believe that in order for a dollar coin to be successful, the paper dollars must be phased out. At this time, there are no plans to go in that direction. The US Mint is planning on releasing a new dollar coin which depicts the Presidents. However, one third of all dollar coins produced will still be the Sacajawea coin.
