Presidential coin honoring Herbert Hoover released

WEST BRANCH - Nearly 40 children were presented with small, golden-colored coins and warm smiles Thursday at the official release of the Herbert Hoover Presidential $1 coin.

The coins, as well as the smiles, came from Leslie Hoover-Lauble, the great-granddaughter of Herbert Hoover, who was the 31st president of the United States and was born in West Branch. In front of a crowd of approximately 150 people at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum in West Branch, Hoover-Lauble spoke of the two times she met her great-granddad, as she referred to him. The first was when she was 3-years-old, which she does not remember, and the second was when she was seven.

'His presentation was not that of an old man,” said Hoover-Lauble, who later laughed as she recalled that he was the type of man who would fish in a three-piece suit. 'He was very vibrant, very kind and smelled vaguely of cigars.”

The manganese brass coins honoring Hoover are part of a presidential series of coins, being released in the order that the presidents served in office. The series began in 2007 and four coins have been released each year. The obverse side of the coin features a rendition of the president, with a picture of the Statue of Liberty on the reverse side. The coin is also unique in that the words 'E Pluribus Unum” appear on the edge of the piece.

Hoover-Lauble said that she was pleased not only with the rendition of Hoover, but with the fact that the children that attended the event would receive free coins after the ceremonial coin pour, when 500 coins were dumped on a table to mark the release of the monetary piece, since she recalled that Hoover had a particular empathy for children.

The events focus on children went beyond the connection to the late president.

'Perhaps ... it would spur you to maybe start a collection of coins,” said Michael Olson, a member of the Citizen's Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and a speaker at the event. 'Coins are little pieces of history that you can hold in your hand.”

'My brother and I share a coin collection,” said Summer Saylor, 10, who attended the event. She said that she would be adding the new coin to what she described as a small collection.

Olson, who was the first Iowan appointed to the CCAC in 2009, said that he felt the rendition of Hoover chosen for the coin represented the president well.

'This one was far and away the best representation of a strong, confident man,” said Olson, who explained that the CCAC and the Commission of Fine Arts both recommended this design for the coin. 'It represented him with honor.”

The coin can be purchased at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum or online through the US Mint. A $10 gold coin of Hoover's wife, Lou Henry Hoover, also will be released later this year as part of the First Spouse Series.

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