Ceremony in Kinderhook to honor nation's 8th president

KINDERHOOK, N.Y. (AP) -- State and federal officials gathered in an upstate New York cemetery to honor the nation's eighth president on the 226th anniversary of his birth.

And officials from the U.S. Mint attended the Friday morning event in Martin Van Buren's hometown of Kinderhook to introduce the new presidential $1 coin honoring him.

Van Buren, the first president born an American citizen, was elected president in 1837. His previous positions included governor of New York, vice president and U.S. senator.

The new coins are part of the presidential dollar series that started with George Washington last year. Under a federal law passed in 2005, the treasury must issue $1 coins honoring the nation's presidents in the order they served. Four designs will be released each year.

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U.S. Mint, www.usmint.gov

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