US Commemorative Dollar Proof 1997-P Botanic Gardens

As a very young republic, the United States spoke much of creating a Botanic Garden. Even by 1820, President Monroe set aside five acres of land just by the steps of the Capitol building. The idea was to hold seeds and cultivate plants so as to send the plants to the far reaches of the burgeoning Union. Later administrations sent letters to foreign dignitaries around the world requesting seeds and plants. This worked very well, and soon after, the United States Botanic Garden was accepting seeds from countries as far as China and Brazil. In 1838, Lieutenant Charles Wilkes was sent on the United States Exploring Expedition. This would lead to a large collection of botanical specimens including seeds and cuttings. This would form the base of the plants at the Botanic Garden even today.

The obverse of the 1997 Proof Botanic Garden Commemorative Silver dollar shows the facade of the Botanic Garden building. The coin shows the details of the greenhouse roof of the Botanic Garden along with the many windowed doors along the facade. The obverse of the coin was designed by Edgar Z Steever. The reverse of the coin aptly shows America’s national flower, the rose. Along the edge of the top of the reverse there is a rose vine with five roses in full bloom. Under the rose the words “United States Botanic Garden 1820 - 1995” are written. The reverse of the coin was designed by William C Cousins.

The 1997 Proof US Botanic Garden Commemorative Silver dollar has a mintage of 189,671 coins, making a fairly rare coin based off the mintage figure. The coin was designed to commemorate over 175 years of the United States commitment to botany and horticulture. If you have any questions regarding this or any other commemorative coin, please call our knowledgeable staff at (800) 735-1311.

• Denomination: $1
• Year: 1997
• Diameter: 26.5 mm
• Mint Mark: P
• Thickness: 2 mm
• Grade: Ungraded