Does anyone know why the US Mint stopped producing commemoratives between the years after 1954 and before 1982 (1955 to 1981)? Also, there is a markedly different design between the classic and modern commemorative designs (I prefer the classics). I'm guessing this is due to a change in artist and design direction. There's a change in perspective, font size, etc. seen on Modern commemoratives. Thanks in advance!
Because the politicians abused the program and a stop was put on it until 1982. In 1936 alone, they passed legislation to create over 16 commemoratives in just that one year. Now we have a limit as to how many can be produce during that same length of time.
Why didn't they just cap it per year, state, event, etc., including an overall cap per year for 1955 and forward?
Not just the politicians, but the distribution of the commems was rife with abuse so that a few dealers or organizations could corner a market and dictate price.
That's what they tried to develop starting in 1982. But it is the government and it moved slowly on the issue even then.
This distributive/logistical challenge makes sense to me. But... why didn't they just make the US Mint the exclusive dealer, where consumers and dealers alike just mail order them directly with a cap per order/household? Though, I guess verifying limits on each household/address back then would have been a nightmare to keep on paper file look-up.
In a sense, this is what we have now. Coin collectors are not the favorite sons of Congress. At one time they thought we were also the cause of coin shortages in the U.S. We come from a variety of backgrounds and offer little in the way of voting power. We are not their concern. Would you like to guess how long we have gone without a full time mint director or how long it will take to get one? Don't ask logical questions, it could cause them to think.
Tom, do you remember which commem it was that didn't sell very well, and B. Max Mehl bought the entire remaining mintage? Chris
It just dawned on me that the 1955-82 commem hiatus was shorter in length than the modern commem "low-atus." A big difference in the design philosophy between the two is that the moderns were all designed so that cameo proofs could be made. The only classics with designs that could accommodate this are the Columbian, Lafayette, Isabella, and New Rochelle. The others used the negative space (if any) in a more artistic manner.
From CoinUpdate.com, Arkansas Centennial Commemorative Half Dollar - by Dennis Hengeveld (1/30/14): "The additional pieces struck at the Philadelphia and both branch mint issues were the idea of Texas coin dealer B. Max Mehl. All these issues were initially sold at the same $1 price, but Mehl quickly scooped up almost the entire mintage of each additional issue and offered them for sale to collectors at inflated prices: $2 for the Philadelphia issue and $2.75 each for the branch mint issues. A pair of the branch mint issues was offered at a discounted rate of $5 for the pair." These coins have always intrigued me with their histories, how complex and strange some of the events are. Then again, years in the future, some might think the same about the modern commems and how people purchased say the Girl Scouts or Civil Rights coins.
Call me when they make the Swedish Fish Commemorative dollar, otherwise I'm not interested. If they are going to make commemoratives about not so interesting topics, at least make them delicious.
The mint had wanted to get out of making commemoratives for YEARS. They hated them and you have to remember at the time they kind of viewed the collector as "The Enemy". The Congress was also sick of all the scandals and complaints over the abuses of the commemorative programs as well. They had tried to put an end to the commemoratives earlier at the end of the 30's but a couple more managed to sneak in. The only reason the last one, the Washington-Carver made it through was because of a little clause in the authorizing bill about what the money was to be used for. "To fight the spread of Communism among the Negros." A brilliant bit of text that would assure passage of the bill. This was during the "Red Scare" with Sen McCarty's "Un-American activities committee" that was finding Communists and Communist sympathizers around every corner and under every bed. To be accused by the committee was a case of guilty until proven innocent, and you weren't allowed to present proof. The only way to get the committee off your back was to denounce someone else. Just being called before the committee could ruin lives and careers. Who would risk coming out against a coin "to end the spread of Communism" (Not to mention the appeal to the southern lawmakers about another means to "Keep the Negros in their place"),and risk being called before the committee and being denounced as a "Pro-Communist sympathizer"? By 1954 the Red Scare was dying, McCarthy wasn't the power he had been, and the Washington Carver was ended and Congress was finally completely fed up with the commemorative boondoggles and ended them, so they thought, once and for all.
