House bill would add new look to Sacagawea dollar coin

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/mich...4/1181689748269010.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted Tuesday to give a new look to the Sacagawea dollar in hopes of reviving flagging interest in the seven-year-old golden coin.

The legislation, approved by voice vote, would make annual changes to the reverse side of the coin to commemorate the achievements of other Native Americans and Indian tribes. The image of Sacagawea, the young Shoshone who assisted Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Northwest 200 years ago, would remain on the heads side of the coin.

The Sacagawea dollar was first minted in 2000 to replace the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. Like its predecessor, it has failed to catch on with most Americans.

The Sacagawea coin was originally intended for general circulation, but for the first five months of this year the U.S. Mint had produced only 7.5 million, all for collectors. In contrast, the Mint this year has produced 500 million of the new presidential $1 coins that came out in February.

Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Mich., sponsor of the legislation, said the static design of the Sacagawea coin is one reason it is not as popular as the presidential coins. The design of those coins changes every three months, with the first, depicting Washington, to be succeeded by presidents in the order of their service.

"The designs on the coin will take the American people through a journey of different experiences of native peoples by exposing them to their unique histories while preserving the memory of Sacagawea," said Kildee, of Flint.

Rep. Michael Castle, R-Del., said the new coin has the potential to save the Treasury $150 million a year if demand increases and the surplus of unused coins is eliminated.

The bill, if approved by the Senate and signed by the president, would require that the Sacagawea coin make up 20 percent of all $1 coins.

The designs will be decided by the secretary of Treasury in consultation with members of Congress, the National Congress of American Indians, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

The legislation suggested that possible designs could be the creation of the Cherokee written language, the Iroquois Confederacy, Wampanoag chief Massasoit or Olympian Jim Thorpe.

Currently, the reverse of the coin depicts a soaring eagle with 17 stars representing the states at the time of the 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition.

 

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"WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted Tuesday to give a new look to the Sacagawea dollar in hopes of reviving flagging interest in the seven-year-old golden coin."

They have to wake up, it'll just interest collectors. If even collectors care.

 

Want to create interest in the $1 coin? Get rid of the $1 bill, then people will start using them.

 

Just a semantic quibble, but how do you "revive" an interest that never existed?

Another quibble - how will producing new reverses eliminate the surplus of unused coins already minted?

 

Why are they messing around with this. Give us what we really want, silver (proof) American President series coins. The ONE set that makes total sense will not get minted, how sad for America and coin collectors.

 

I think the only way to have the dollar coins catch on is to have vending machines to widely accept them. What do you think? davdo.

 

You mean like

• the stamp machines at the post office
• the transit ticket machines
• the self-checkout lines at Home Depot, grocery stores and drug stores, and
• the soda and snack machines at motels, etc.

that already accept them around my home and most of the places I travel to?

 

"Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Mich., sponsor of the legislation, said the static design of the Sacagawea coin is one reason it is not as popular as the presidential coins. "

What is he talking about? The presidential dollar is NOT circulating, at least the Sac dollars are circulating in Equador.

 

I don't mean the general public thats a given. The coin collecting public/hobbist/readers of this forum were my target of WE. I stand by the fact this was an opportunity wasted by our "friends" in Washington.

 

Chris,I agree with that.It makes no sense in having both a $1 banknote & a $1 coin in circulation at the same time.It would save a ton of money by discontinuing the printing of $1 notes.Think of all the paper & ink the Bureau of Engraving & Printing could use elsewhere.

Aidan.

 

Not to mention how much longer a coin can remain in circulation vs a banknote.

 

I use $1 coins nearly every day.
At work I use them in the vending machines.
I almost always throw a $10-$20 dollar bill in the change machine to be able to sort through the Sacs, SBAs, & Prez $.
I just dearly love giving the coins to 16 yr old girls working drive-thru windows, too.
OOOhhhhhh the looks of being dumbfounded.

 

that is the only reason I use them, it's so fun to hear poeple say "are these real?" or "huh?" :L)

 

Hamman88,I can guess that you get a lot of blank stares from people when you are spending the $1 coins.

Aidan.

 

In Chicago the parking meters accept the $1. coins, @ .25 cents for 12 minutes, you need a barrel of quarter to put any time on the meter.

I am still confused, now 500 million presedential $'s, by the end of the year 1billion maybe, still none in circulation. At least I have not seen any, not even at the post office.

I have been watching now for 3 years the lewis and clark nickels and I have gotten a grand total of 17 in my pocket change. I own several hundred bu of each coin and I think this is going to be a winner.

 

The fact that you don't find any in circulation means that billions are sitting in peoples drawers and closets in bags and rolls all in BU condition. They will never be worth much and may have already peaked.

 

All the machines around here take them. The problem I have is getting them from the bank to use. I go in and ask for a roll and usually walk out with a few single coins.

 

Congress realized they made a mistake with the 1/3 Sackie productionin the President dollar law. This bill would correct that mistake.

 

sac reverse changes every year....

i like the idea to change the reverse of sac dollars every years. hopefully other coins too.