The 2000 Leif Ericson Millennium Commemorative Silver Dollars not only represented a unique piece of history, but also a first for the United States Mint.
Each of the Leif Ericson coins commemorated the famed Norse explorer who is widely credited with being the first European to set foot on North American soil (excluding Greenland). He is believed to have created a settlement in present-day Newfoundland, Canada and he or others in his group may have even ventured as far south as the New England portion of the present-day United States. This all occurred 500 years earlier than the Christopher Columbus Expeditions to the New World.
Making the coins even more unique than their subject matter is the fact that the US Mint produced their commemorative silver coins in association with the Republic of Iceland. In fact, the US Mint even struck a special Leif Ericson Silver 1000 Kronur for the Republic of Iceland which was available separately or as part of a two-coin set including the American Silver Dollar. This marked the first time the US Mint participated in such a collaboration.
Silver Dollar Information
The Leif Ericson Silver Dollars were authorized by the Leif Ericson Millennium Commemorative Coin Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-126). Under the act, a maximum of 500,000 of the 90% silver coins were authorized to be struck in either proof or uncirculated condition.
Each obverse design shows a portrait of Leif Ericson as completed by U.S. Mint engraver/sculptor John Mercanti. The obverse also shows the inscriptions of LEIF ERICSON, 2000, IN TOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY and the Philadelphia mintmark of ‘P’.
The reverse shows a Viking ship of the type Ericson would have used under full sail. It was designed by U.S. Mint engraver/sculptor James Ferrell and also includes the inscriptions of FOUNDER OF THE NEW WORLD, ONE DOLLAR, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
The US Mint also issued a Library of Congress Bicentennial Commemorative Silver Dollar in 2000.
2000 Leif Ericson Silver Dollar Coin Specifications
| Face Value: | $1 |
| Composition: | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Total Estimated Mintage: | 144,748 Proof, 28,150 Uncirculated |
| Diameter: | 1.5 inches |
| Weight | 26.73 grams |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| Minting Facility: | Philadelphia (P) |
| Obverse Design: | Portrait of Leif Ericson |
| Obverse Designer: | John Mercanti |
| Reverse Design: | Image of a Viking Ship |
| Reverse Designer: | James Ferrell |
The commemorative 
The commemorative 
, author Eric Jordan and Contributing Editor Debbie Bradley show you how to include modern commemorative coins in your investments.
