Design Of American Coins. What's Up?

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Author	Replies: 3 / Views: 923
Mike Rest in Peace United States 2884 Posts	Posted 05/06/2005 5:15 pm Hello Crew!!! I would like to know exactly who is behind this big conspiracy not to allow "artistic coins" to be designed and minted? All I read are lots of allegations about he said and she said, but who is to blame, if that is even the correct way to look at it! Letâ€™s take a step back and view it as as a needs matter, rather than a want's issue. The bottom line is a small minority of Americans pay any attention to their coins and currency. It does not seem to be a pressing issue. I see no grand scheme or plot from behind the scenes at work here. I'm glad that throughout history some have stepped forward (Roosevelt for example) and pointed out how drab our coins were compared to the rest of the world, otherwise today we would not have many of the wonderful coins we have from the past. Things are just not the same in the world of global media. The grand Eagles and Lady Liberties of coins past were perhaps some peopleâ€™s only view to what our country was all about. Symbolism was very important and many American coins were designed and minted that "delivered a message" to the rest of the world. I don't think that applies in the same way today. Money is viewed by most people as a tool. Once precious metals were removed from coins it further diminished the interest people had in coins. For example, look how beautiful the ASE's and American Gold coins are now as well as many modern commemoratives. All we can do is hope for a rebirth of the patriotic interest in coins that past generations seem to have had! Sadly, in America that's like to trying to get better roads built before they build the subdivision! No one cares or does anything until after the traffic causes a problem! As I stated before weâ€™re a "Country of fixers". When things gets bad enough or this issue creates enough attention, changes will occur. One final note, this "problem" is not related to any particular political party as America has had a pretty good mix in the White House, Congress and Senate over the last 40 years or so! Mike Edited by Mike 05/09/2005 01:26 am Report this Post to the Staff

national dealer Pillar of the Community United States 2724 Posts	Posted 05/06/2005 7:55 pm Who makes the decisions? The Treasurer of the United States is supposed to do this, as the authority falls squarely in this office. However, the past 4 treasurers have publicly stated that "they" are not worthy of removing a president off of the coins. Fast forward to 2003. The U.S. Mint was making an it known that an aniversary of the Lewis and Clark exposition was in the mix. Virginian legislators quickly wrote a bill in the house of Representatives to make the Jefferson - Monticello a permanent design. Offer that it was to honor the third president. No American outcry was heard. Even collectors would not organize to stop this from happening. Forward to 2005. There are several in congress looking to make the 5 current designs permanent. Again, the average American has no clue. Collectors will not step up and make their voices heard. So with lack of direction, the U.S. Congress has been making the rules as they go. They are currently BREAKING the law as they have no authority on any coin design change AFTER it has circulated for 25 years. (All 5 coins have met this requirement) Sac dollar has to be changed by congress as it has not met the 25 year minimum. Congress is trying to take the authority away from the treasurer to insure that NO president is removed from any coin. (Again this is BREAKING the law). In 1909 they stood up and LIED claiming that it was only tradition of having our coin designed with Lady Liberty, when in fact, statute 1 written in 1792 made it very clear that NO person living or dead was to be on our coins. In fact it was supposed to be an image emblimatic of Lady Liberty. The process as it works now: House and Senate = banking and finance committee. House vote Senate vote Presidential signature. NONE of which is supposed to happen, unless a design change is necessary before the 25 year period. How to change it? People must make their voices heard. Demand that congress get out of the COIN business. They surely have more important worries to concern themselves with than who is on our coins. Report this Post to the Staff
Mike Rest in Peace United States 2884 Posts	Posted 05/06/2005 11:53 pm ND, thanks for the answer and straightening out some misconceptions I've had about how coins come to be minted in America. It confirmed what I suspected, that no one individual or group is campaigning against artistic designs on coins. Most people would not care if our coins merely stated their value and nothing else. I always thought it was that no living person could appear on our currency or coinage. With respect to statute 1 from 1792 (I thought some of these were more like guidelines, not laws) designers around that time in rather large numbers sought to put Washington on coins anyway (curious as reportedly this was against his will at the time and later done anyway!) and that the 25-year rule was implemented for cost effectiveness and to prevent rapid "wanton" changing of designs, not to insure fresh designs every 25 years. Were not other statutes in the past provided at times,that all denominations of silver or Gold carry the same designs for economic reasons?(again ignored in modern coinage). I think the "rules" have never been followed, or at least bent if not broken entirely, mostly by the lobby of a few who were interested in such things. Again there is no plot to prevent beautiful coins, just complacency. Mike Edited by Mike 05/07/2005 9:05 pm Report this Post to the Staff
national dealer Pillar of the Community United States 2724 Posts	Posted 05/09/2005 07:37 am quote: I think the "rules" have never been followed, or at least bent if not broken entirely, mostly by the lobby of a few who were interested in such things. Again there is no plot to prevent beautiful coins, just complacency. Mike Rules are meant to be broken. The few rules written about coins and currency are still intact for the most part. They are simply ignored because most people have no idea that there are rules to follow. Report this Post to the Staff
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