Purely an artistic decision.
And not all presidents are facing any particular direction. Jefferson faces forward on the new 5¢ pieces issued starting in 2006 as do many of the images on Presidential $1 coins, for example.
Lincoln on Cent, Jefferson on 2005 nickel, Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea, and some of the Presidents on Dollar coins.
He's not. There's no backwards or forwards, OR right or wrong, on coins. The designer (Victor D. Brenner) copied the image from a medal he had made earlier, and simply chose to have Lincoln facing to the right. It was purely artistic coincidence that later coins had the portraits facing to the left. In recent years the direction has changed again. The portrait on the 2005 Jefferson nickel faces right, like Lincoln, and later nickels and all Presidential dollars face forward.
the presidents.
Abraham Lincoln
george washinton
Lincoln on Cent, Jefferson on 2005 nickel, Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea, and some of the Presidents on Dollar coins.
He's not. There's no backwards or forwards, OR right or wrong, on coins. The designer (Victor D. Brenner) copied the image from a medal he had made earlier, and simply chose to have Lincoln facing to the right. It was purely artistic coincidence that later coins had the portraits facing to the left. In recent years the direction has changed again. The portrait on the 2005 Jefferson nickel faces right, like Lincoln, and later nickels and all Presidential dollars face forward.
Silver dollars
the presidents.
Eisenhower was the first president on a dollar coin from 1971 to 1978. From 2007 to 2011, the first 20 presidents are depicted on the dollar coins.
washington
Abraham Lincoln
ten dollars
george washinton
The direction he's facing isn't wrong, it's just different from other coins because the images were taken from famous portraits so each coin reflects the direction that the original artist chose. Look at the new nickels and dollars: Jefferson is facing forward on the nickel, Sacagawea is looking over her shoulder on the dollar, and Washington is looking forward on the Presidential dollar. It's all a matter of artistic choice.
On coins it is the lion - there are three lions on an asoka pedestal - one facing out, one facing left, one facing right.
If you mean the Presidential Dollars, they started getting minted in 2007, with the first four Presidents of The United States. Thanx