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 Replies: 14 / Views: 1,443 |
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Pillar of the Community
708 Posts |
Here is what one of my state Senators wrote back to me: ----------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for contacting me about a proposal to redesign the Kennedy half dollar coin and increase circulation. I appreciate that you have taken the time to communicate your views and concerns with me. I understand your concern that the availability of this coin does not meet demand. Should related legislation come before the U.S. Senate for a vote, I will keep your views in mind, and share your thoughts on this issue with my colleagues who serve on the Senate Banking Committee. Thank you again for contacting me. Please continue to keep me informed about issues of concern to you and your family. --------------------------------------------------------- These form letters must do some bit of good though, because I called one of the Dollar Coin Alliance people, and told them that I wrote to my Senators twice over the past two years on supporting the COINS Act, and the DCA guy thanked me for it. Anyway, I also asked, and, no word on when the COINS Act will be reintroduced. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
Realistically your response was likely penned by either a junior staffer or college intern but the key is persistance so keep sending the letter.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5207 Posts |
Nice.
At least he or she (or their assistant or intern) did not just send you an automated reply to your letter.
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12825 Posts |
Interesting. I wonder if on the same day the same intern replied to a guy wanting to abolish the half dollar altogether and chuckled at the silliness of it all. :) I imagine the mailboxes of our senators are chock full of such correspondence from concerned Americans.
For the record, I don't think your correspondence was silly, Fox, and I too want the half to continue!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
997 Posts |
The problem is that the amount minted fits the demand and then some. No one wants the half dollar these days, if they did they would mint them for circulation.
What you need to do in your crusade is to increase demand somehow. I don't know that it can be done, but the Mint isn't going to mint billions of coins no one wants anymore, the recent reduction of mint figures for the dollar coin proved that.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
624 Posts |
What was your request asking? What re-design were you recommending. JUST MY OPINION... I have a personal opinion about putting Presidents on coins; I don't like it. IMHO, I'm perfectly content to see Presidents or other political, or cultural icons on commemorative coins. I think the precident set by the Roosevelt dime (using contemporary Presidents as models) is bad and it has coursened US circulating currency. No offense to Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, but I'd much rather see Achilles, Lady Liberty, Native American, etc. NOTE: I don't want to see Susan B. Anthony either. As long as I'm getting my opinion out there, I thought it was important I get that out there too....  Edited by BamaBlue
04/03/2013 09:10 am
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Valued Member
United States
253 Posts |
I think the problem with the half dollar circulation is that so few vending machines will take them if any. The only automated coin system I have found so far is the Walmart self checkouts. If there are others, let me know, because I would like to start plunking halves into them to get them circulating. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1770 Posts |
half dollar forever! I try my best to always circulate them whether its 7/11 local store takeout/fastfood they definately get weird looks which is kinda sad
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Pillar of the Community
 708 Posts |
BamaBlue, I was asking about a Kennedy themed redesign of four designs in 2014, and a new permenant design in 2015. I also asked about getting educational materials out, to make people aware of the new designs of the Kennedy half, and to make people realize that the half is still a current circulation denomination. I also asked about if there was any way vendors could get a "Removal of Barriers to Circulation" act placed on them, where they would have to upgrade their machines by law to accept halves, however, I have read on government websites before that the Treasury can not "force" ant denomination on the public, so I don't know if that part of the legislation would be possible or not. |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
I like your idea in theory, but right now we dont need to be investing millions in educational materials about half dollars with the current buget issues. I am also opposed to the idea of forcing upgrades on companies to accept coins, if it makes sense they will but they have the right not to and do believe that act wouldnt hold up in court. That said theres no reason we cant have a redesign for 2014 and/or a new design after that. Since they make money minting them trying a circulation run or two again and see how it goes would be worth exploring, but only if a redesign occurs. At this point I think the Kennedys fate as a collectors only coin has been sealed. My Two Cents |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
624 Posts |
Thanks Fox. Good luck with your effort... Someday there will be a re-emergence of the great American circulating currency.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
613 Posts |
You would think that maybe we are, in fact, slowwwwly evolving towards a day that the half would again be useful and used more commonly: the gradual build up of inflation over the past decades making higher value coins more commonplace/needed, the possible/likely removal of the penny in the near (withing 10 years)future, and the quite possible, but not in the very immediate future, removal of the dollar bill and the re-emergence of the dollar coin as an everyday coin.
Should the dollar coin thus replace the quarter as the "everyday workhorse", the half could possibly get a second shot at being useful.
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Pillar of the Community
708 Posts |
billymac11,
I hope the end of the penny starts by the end of this year, same with the $1 bill. However, I fear that the end of the $1 bill may pysh the half into further oblivian, due to the fact that some cashiers will claim that they have no space in the drawer for halves (they will be thinking 5c, 10c, 25c $1 and spare coin rolls, paper clips and other junk in the fifth slot) However, if they don't get rid of the $1 bill, I fear that the $2 bill will never circulate in large numbers, despite the fact that most cash registers can be set up $1, $2, $5, $10, $20/$50 already, with $100 bills going under the till or in a safe, instead of using the fifth coin slot for spare rolls of coins as well.
Bm0ney's setup is perfect. His/her cash drawer has four bill slots that can be switched to five bill slots, and eight coin slots. Think of the possibility of eight coin slots: 1c, 5c, 10c, 25c, 50c, $1, $2 and $5, and bill slots $10, $20, $50, $100, and possibly add a $200 and $500 bill, and maybe even a $1,000 bill, then put the $100s, $200s, $500s and $1,000s under the till and only gig them out if you need them, to prevent attempted robbery. Or we can even dich the penny, so that cashiers still have that junk and spare coin roll slot.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1254 Posts |
Why would a cash register have a $1000 bill in it? What precentage of stores would use a $1000 bill on a regular basis? For that matter I really don't see them using a $200 or $500 bill either. The only changes we might see are the retirements of the penny, the half and the paper dollar bill and it might be awhile before those are gone.
Edited by Teach
04/05/2013 08:17 am
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Pillar of the Community
708 Posts |
Teach,
I meant to say that, $1,000 bills would be put in a safe, and a couple $200 and $500 bills "might" be kept availble to make change for if someone breaks and spends a $1,000 or $500 bill. But I really, actually think that, if you use a $200, $500 or $1,000 bill, you should have to spend most of it.
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Replies: 14 / Views: 1,443 |
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Posted 04/02/2013 10:56 pm
