RIP...US Mint

Issue a commemorative quarter or the like for one year into circulation. All I know is those in charge appear not to listen to us collectors.

 

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If the mint changed designs on the penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar and dollar every 20 years (and skipped dead presidents for a while as it's been done to death), and revamped it's commemorative program to produce fewer higher quality designs, everything would be fixed.

Also, Congress should decree that the $1 bill would stop being produced, and phase out the $5 bill within 5 years in favor of a $5 coin. And it would be nice if the dollar and $5 coin would follow the 20 years change of design with no dead presidents formula. Come to think of it, that's also the perfect time to phase out the penny.

I'm tired of Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, and Kennedy on the coinage for so many decades. It becomes borringly repetitive. And don't even get me started on the mess that is US Commemoratives.

Don't hold your breath though. If there is one thing this country has proven lately is that there is no willpower to change and revamp our borring modern coinage. The golden years are many decades behind us, sadly!

 

Quantity isn't the problem. With only 2 that can come in 6 different versions each that's hardly an overwhelming number that should have any impact on the design for sake of time. They just simply have a committee making the selections who just make poor decisions.

Case in point when discussing the ATB designs for 2019 and talking about American Memorial Park three of them said, "Mike Moran suggested the American Memorial Park coin honor indigenous people of the region. The Guam coin, he said, presented a unique opportunity to show an underwater sea bed.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar noted that sea life such as turtles are iconic. (This prompted Chair Mary Lannin to mention that, historically, as popular as turtle designs might be, they’ve “always been shot down” in the Treasury secretary’s final decision-making.)

Donald Scarinci, our senior committee member in years of service, envisioned a different approach. He said that “Congress commemorates military concepts well” and that “we as a nation portray ourselves through our coins in a military way, with commemoratives and medals.” He urged that the Mint’s artists instead celebrate wildlife and nature’s beauty, which were preserved and protected by the outcome of World War II, rather than war itself. “Stay away from the war stuff,” he said, “and let Congress legislate war things.” On a separate note, he observed that there’s a large body of stamps and coins that the America the Beautiful quarters shouldn’t duplicate, design-wise."
The full article can be found here:
http://mintnewsblog.com/citizens-co...hemes-in-2019-america-the-beautiful-quarters/

But you literally have a park that is there as a war memorial and three of them want to focus on turtles, underwater life, and wildlife. I'm sure that would be a big hit and go over very well if they get their way.....

 

Bah.

 

The designs of our circulating coins are now essentially in fixed federal statutes. The Mint, or the Secretary of the Treasury, no longer has the authority to change our circulating coins after 25 years of a design, as they used to have. The state and ATB quarters, the 2009 Lincoln reverses, the 2010 Lincoln Shield, the 2004-05 Westward Ho nickels have all proven to the Congress that only THEY should have that authority. They won't trust the executive branch will design authority other than details. Every incumbent circulating design has such an entrenched Congressional constituency that no changes are any longer viable.

 

After skimming through Title 31 Sec 5112 the only things I see that are fixed in design are

The nickel has to have Jefferson and Monticello on it.

The $50 AGE has to have an image of Liberty and the reverse has to have the "family of eagles" design (fractionals do not have to have them.)

After the ATB quarters end the quarter will have the Flanagan design obv and Washington crossing the Delaware reverse.

The Paladium bullion has to have the mercury dime obv and the 1907 American Institute of Architects medal design on the reverse.

The Secretary also has to consult with congress on changes to the dollar design.

The ASE has to have Liberty on one side and an eagle on the other, period.

Other than that everything is up for grabs, and the Sec of the Treasury does still have the authority to change the designs once every 25 years on his own authority without consulting Congress. So right now on his ow authority he could change the dime, half dollar, ASE, the Fractional AGE's, and the Buffalo $50 gold (it only had to have Fraser's design for the first year of issuance.)

Really? How many sea turtle design proposals have there been for him to shoot down? I can't recall any.

But the Sec of the Treasury doesn't have to accept their recommendations.

 

That makes two of us. I can't really think of anything of than the ATBs where they would have even applicable to a possible design.

True. Though it does seem like they usually try to stick to it or the general theme, but that certainly could be an instance where the Sec could completely override them if they go in that direction.

 

Have you been to McDonalds lately? They don't seem to have any problem raising their prices. $10 for a McDonalds meal...really? I don't remember McDonalds talking credit cards when I was a kid.

 

Gresham's Law? Perhaps...but if there's just $1 worth of silver in a $50 coin, I doubt they will be hoarded much.

 

Are there states that have a turtle as there state animal? As I'm sure we'll get America's state animals quarters next lol. Sadly I think that old thread where the guy was legitimately proposing the 'first pets' series is likely to get the green light before any nice designs that help reignite the hobby for us collectors.

 

Breakfast specials can't be beat.

 

My mint order should be in the mailbox tomorrow. No commemorative halves for my collection this year.

Hopefully, the mint does not change the Roosevelt dime. 70+ years with the same design.

 

I had their breakfast special yesterday. Gave me gas.

 

Cry Baby........get a new colon........

 

If there are I didn't find it on a quick google search, looked like mostly whales for sea animals. You know what, I hope they do. It has to be better than some of the other stuff they do, animals are really hard to goon the design on

 

Mines still well under that. And true prices will rise on their own over time, it would just be speed up as the lowest denomination becomes larger

 

In agreement there, in fact I found some of the animal designs on the ATB's to be quite good, the El Yunque design comes to mind.

 

Green don't show that to Mary Lannin

 

Agreed. The Kentucky quarter with the horse was very nice as well.