Commemorative coins in 2020 to honor the 100th anniversary of Prohibition

The Eighteenth Amendment (alcohol prohibition) to the US Constitution was ratified in 1919 and that same year the US Congress passed the National Prohibition Act (the Volstead Act) which established penalties for the manufacture and sale of alcohol.

The Act took effect on January 17, 1920 marking the start of "Prohibition".

Prohibition lasted 13 years ending in December 1933. It was a period marked mostly by non-compliance by the American public.

The Prohibition era produced, among other things, flappers, bathtub gin, 3.2 beer, Al Capone, Prohibition agents, medical alcohol permits, speakeasies, moonshiners, bootleggers, rumrunners, stills.

Personal notes: I live near San Francisco, a town which was infamous for non-cooperation. The coast south of the city was a prime landing point for alcohol deliveries. The primary job of the local US Coast Guard at the time was chasing rumrunners.

Prohibition would be a suitable candidate for commemorative coins. It is a known American historical period which affected almost everyone in the country at the time, and it is well known to the current public through books, films, and television programs (remember "The Untouchables"?).

Write your congressman or senator, or better yet, buy him a drink.

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A numismatic note from one of New York City's former speakeasies:


Leon and Eddie's Nightclub Good Luck Coin

The club began as a Prohibition-era speakeasy and later operated as a nightclub.

Leon and Eddie are shown thumbing their noses (at Prohibition?).

 

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I would rather commemorate the repeal of such an atrocious law!

 

I think that 1933 would be a more suitable year for commemoration.

On a side note there is a county, not too far from me, known as the moonshine capital of the world, where average per capita sugar consumption in the 1920s was 25,000 pounds per year.

 

I'm hoping the mint will commemorate the silver dollars in 2021 for the 100th year since Morgan and Peace dollar were minted together. Ideally they could also throw in a silver Ike for the Ike 50th.

 

Where do you think Joe Kennedy made all of his money? Got wind of prohibition ending and got some lucrative import rights........

 

I have to post this.

 

A totally useless law that was a near total failure and we are going to commemorate it? The only ones who made out on it lived in my state. And that's nothing to brag about.

 

Not many people know now, but the repeal was pushed through with one main objective - during the Great Depression tax revenues plummeted.

With the repeal of prohibition and the excise taxes on alcohol being imposed state and federal revenues rose dramatically - which largely funded the make busy projects that would eventually help lead the country out of the depression in the run up to WWII.

 

Lol, yes this money nicely completed all the money he made "importing" liquor DURING prohibition

 

The year 1920 is also famous for granting the right to vote nationwide to women. I expect some coin for it's centennial, not Prohibition.

 

Why should be celebrate the 18th or 19th amendments when we did not celebrate the 16th and 17th, both of which were more insidious?

 

I've heard that that is an urban legend, but Mom and Pop didn't think so.......

 

The mint doesn't choose the subjects of commemorative coins. That belongs to your local congressidiot. They create a bill, get sponsors, have it approved by both houses of Congress and the pres signs it into law. Then the mint gets to implement it, good or bad....

 

All very true. But what does it have to do with this thread?

 

Also for you NASCAR fans. It wouldn't be around today if not for the Volstead Act.

 

Joe Kennedy did not start importing liquor until after the end of Prohibition.