Women On US Coins?

A Michelle Obama coin would be awesome !

Interesting replies. The Presidents statements either came out of ignorance or his staffers just screwed-up. Obviously, we as coin collectors, immediately knew that Sacagawea is currently on our $1 coin and Susan B Anthony was on it from 1979-1999. The cent through half dollar is reserved for past Presidents. Our original coinage, starting in 1795, had Ann Willing Bingham on the Half Cent through dollar:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draped_Bust
In 1878, the school teacher, Anna Willess Williams posed for the dollar coin. She later lost her job for doing so:
http://www.countygenweb.com/txmontg...n_dollar.htm

As was previously noted, Martha Washington was on our US paper currency in the 1800's. Obama was referring to currently circulating coins when he replied to some child's letter, but, he apparently was just ignorant to the Sacagawea dollar coins. Hopefully he'll stop talking about coins and other things he knows nothing about.

Joe2007, you are so correct. Our forefathers believed that no person should ever grace our coinage, unlike in England. President Washington believed that no man was better than any other and he vehemently fought against being put on our coinage. He certainly would be appalled to see himself and other presidents being portrayed on our currency. We betrayed our forefathers wishes in 1909.

Oh please!

He was making a speech, not a documentary for the History Channel. He was trying to spur political and civic interest among young women. Of course he was talking about currently minted coins (for circulation)

I am sure his intent was to make young girls dream about being the next George Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, or Lincoln. When he defends his Masters Thesis on the history of numismatics, I am sure he will chose his words and fact check better.

By the way, the letter was only concerning "why there were no women on American bills, not coinage, and teh President concurred that it might be time.

"And then she gave me like a long list of possible women to put on our dollar bills and quarters and stuff, which I thought was a pretty good idea," Obama said.

He never said that there has never been any women on US coins and currency.

Here is a $1 American coin with a woman on it.

@muddler

That was going to by my next post for or against the main topic after I got side tracked by the mention of Barry o Hussein's name.

Some people never pass up an opportunity to misquote for political gain. The discussion revolved around bills, not coins.