In 1898, Theodore Roosevelt became a national hero when he organized the "Rough Riders" volunteer regiment to fight in Cuba in the Spanish-American War. In 1900, Roosevelt was elected Vice President under McKinley. After McKinley's assassination, he became the nation's youngest President at age 42, and was re-elected in 1904. Roosevelt fought business monopolies, championed construction of the Panama Canal, won the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, and crusaded for national forests and public parks as well as inspired the transformation of America's coins, commissioning great artists and sculptor to produce memorable designs. His favorite proverb was, "Speak softly, and carry a big stick."
The historic Presidential Dollar series began in 2007 with coins for George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. This is the FIRST coin program in U.S. History to honor all of America's Presidents, and it is destined to be the most popular collection in history, even BIGGER and more popular than the State Quarters!