Woodrow Wilson Presidential $1 Coin

Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia, in 1856. He became a professor of political science and was appointed president of Princeton University in 1902. He was elected governor of New Jersey in 1910 and 28th president of the United States just two years later.

With Congress, President Wilson authorized several commemorative coins:

• Gold and silver pieces for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition
• A gold dollar for a memorial to assassinated President William McKinley
• 50-cent pieces for the 100th anniversaries of Illinois, Maine, and Alabama joining the Union
• A 50-cent piece for the 300th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims

He also signed off on the Pittman Act, to stabilize the price of silver and encourage its production. Also under Wilson, the Federal Reserve Act was passed, which provided the country with a more elastic money supply. He suffered a stroke while trying to rally support for the Versailles Treaty to ensure peace after World War I. He left office in 1921 and died in 1924.