U.S. Mint Releases Woodrow Wilson Presidential Silver Medal

The U.S. Mint releases the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Silver Medal today at noon ET, honoring the nation’s 28th President.

Each medal is struck from one ounce of .999 fine silver and continues the Mint’s Presidential Silver Medal program, which debuted in 2018. These medals are produced at the U.S. Mint facility in Philadelphia.

Woodrow Wilson was born on December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia. He pursued higher education with a focus on history and political science, earning a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. Wilson went on to teach at several institutions and built a reputation as a scholar before serving as president of Princeton University. He later entered politics, serving as governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913.

In 1912, Wilson defeated incumbent Republican President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt, who ran as a third-party candidate, to become the 28th President of the United States. During his first term, he championed legislation that established the modern income tax system and signed the Federal Reserve Act into law. His presidency, however, was also marked by controversial positions on racial segregation and women’s suffrage. As World War I began, Wilson pursued a policy of neutrality while seeking to broker peace.

Wilson narrowly won re-election in 1916. The following year, he shifted course and asked Congress to declare war on Germany, bringing the United States into World War I. After the war, he played a central role in the creation of the League of Nations. Although he considered seeking a third term, a severe stroke in October 1919 left him incapacitated, effectively ending his political career. He died on February 3, 1924.

U.S. Mint Presidential Medal Programs

Presidential medals produced by the U.S. Mint trace their origins to the nation’s founding, when early issues were often struck as “Peace Medals” and presented to Native American leaders. In more recent years, the Mint has released silver versions, with sales figures through March 15 as follows:

• George Washington — 39,246
• John Adams — 24,569
• Thomas Jefferson — 26,278
• James Madison — 17,763
• James Monroe — 15,966
• John Quincy Adams — 15,467
• Andrew Jackson — 17,863
• Martin Van Buren — 14,358
• William Henry Harrison — 14,208
• John Tyler — 14,213
• James K. Polk — 13,863
• Zachary Taylor — 13,569
• Millard Fillmore — 13,162
• Franklin Pierce — 13,114
• James Buchanan — 12,899
• Abraham Lincoln — 22,704
• Andrew Johnson — 13,111
• Ulysses S. Grant — 14,957
• Rutherford B. Hayes — 12,232
• James A. Garfield — 12,151
• Chester A. Arthur — 11,434
• Grover Cleveland — 11,917
• Benjamin Harrison — 10,644
• William McKinley — 10,686
• Theodore Roosevelt — 12,715
• William H. Taft — 10,272

George Washington remains the clear leader by a wide margin, with Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson among the next strongest performers, while most later issues have settled into a narrower range between roughly 10,000 and 15,000.

Later this year, the U.S. Mint plans to release Presidential Silver Medals honoring Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover.

Medal Designs and Specifications

Famed seventh Chief Engraver of the United States Mint George T. Morgan designed the historical portrait of Woodrow Wilson that appears on the obverse (heads side). The left-facing portrait is flanked by the inscription WOODROW to the left and WILSON to the right.

Morgan also designed the reverse (tails side), which features an eagle with outstretched wings holding crossed olive and oak branches in its talons, with the United States Capitol in the background. Inscriptions read INAUGURATED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MAR. 4, 1913 and SECOND TERM MAR. 5, 1917.

Presidential medals have a matte finish similar in appearance to uncirculated coins. Additional specifications include:

Ordering and Price

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Silver Medals are available through the U.S. Mint’s catalog. Pricing is set at $164, a notable increase from the previous release honoring William H. Taft, which debuted at $90. The higher price reflects the Mint’s broader recent adjustments for precious metals amid sharply elevated market conditions.

No mintage or household order limits apply, and earlier Presidential Silver Medals remain available.