2009-D Three Sisters Native American Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 33,880,000 made
- Mintage
- 33,880,000
- Metal
- Manganese brass
- Weight
- 8.1 g
- Diameter
- 26.49 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2009-D Three Sisters Native American Dollar worth?
A worn 2009-D Three Sisters is a spender: face value. A bright uncirculated one, or one with a known error, is worth setting aside.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2009-D Three Sisters Native American Dollar rare?
- No. 34 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 2009-D Three Sisters Native American Dollar silver?
- No. It's manganese brass (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel). Circulating silver dollars ended with the 1935 Peace dollar. Some Eisenhower dollars with an S mint mark were made in 40% silver for collectors, but circulation Ike dollars are copper-nickel clad.
- Where is the mint mark on a 2009 Sacagawea Dollar?
- On the edge, incused with the date. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- How many 2009-D Three Sisters Native American Dollar coins were made?
- 33,880,000.
What to check on your 2009-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 2009-P (37 million made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 2009-S Three Sisters Native American Dollar Proof (2,179,867 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. Golden dollars tarnish easily, so bright original color matters. Check Sacagawea's cheek and the eagle's feathers for wear.
With 34 million made, the 2009-D still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 2009-D Three Sisters
Denver made 33,880,000 of the Three Sisters native american dollar.
Philadelphia struck a similar number of the same design (37 million), so neither mint's version is much harder to find.
Across the whole program it's one of the most plentiful Denver designs.
The first Native American reverses (2009 to 2015)
In 2009 the reverse began changing every year to honor a Native American contribution to American history: the Three Sisters of corn, beans and squash in 2009, the Great Law of Peace in 2010, the Wampanoag treaty in 2011, trade routes in 2012, the treaty with the Delawares in 2013, Native hospitality in 2014 and the Mohawk ironworkers in 2015. Glenna Goodacre's portrait of Sacagawea stayed on the obverse.
The date and mint mark moved to the edge in 2009, lettered with E PLURIBUS UNUM, so the edge is where you check which mint made your coin. A law of 2007 required that at least a fifth of all dollar coins struck each year carry the Native American design, which kept production going even when demand was low.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2009
Four special reverse designs marked the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth on the cent. Quarters honored the District of Columbia and five US territories. The Native American dollar began a new reverse each year.
How to recognize it
The Three Sisters design
The first reverse of the Native American $1 Coin Program shows a Native American woman planting seeds in a field of corn, beans and squash. Many Native peoples grew these three crops together as the Three Sisters. The cornstalks support the climbing beans, the beans enrich the soil and the broad squash leaves shade the ground. The design honors Native American contributions to agriculture. Norman Nemeth designed the reverse, while the obverse keeps Glenna Goodacre's portrait of Sacagawea.
The Sacagawea Dollar design
Glenna Goodacre's obverse shows Sacagawea looking over her shoulder while carrying her infant son, Jean Baptiste. From 2000 to 2008 the reverse showed a soaring eagle by Thomas Rogers. From 2009 each year has a new reverse on a Native American theme and the date and mint mark moved to the edge. The golden color comes from a manganese brass outer layer.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Sacagawea Dollar (2000–present) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2009 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 33,880,000 |
| Face value | $1 |
| Composition | Manganese brass (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel) |
| Weight | 8.1 grams |
| Diameter | 26.49 mm |
| Edge | Plain (2000–2008); lettered with the date and mint mark from 2009 |
| Designer | Glenna Goodacre (obverse); Thomas D. Rogers (eagle reverse, 2000–2008); Native American reverses by various artists from 2009 |
Other 2009 Sacagawea Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-P Three Sisters Native American Dollar | 37,380,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2009-D Three Sisters Native American Dollar | 33,880,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2009-S Three Sisters Native American Dollar Proof | 2,179,867 | Proof | – |
Mintage: Sacagawea dollar (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.