Presidential Dollars versus Half Dollars

Possibly as I write, lawmakers are trying to get congressional approval for a replacement for the Sacagewea Dollar. Under the proposal, the dollar would be used to commemorate the nation's past presidents in a fashion similar to the 50 States Quarter program.

Personally, I believe that the Half Dollar, which has already been used to honor both Kennedy and Franklin, should be used as the coin of choice for this series.

I am curious, what does everyone else think?

The lawmakers who have tabled the proposal have made public their belief that featuring the presidents on the dollar would increase public acceptance of a circulating dollar coin. I am inclined to disagree, although it may stimulate collector interest and would have a positive impact on our hobby, I think it would have little or no impact on use of the coin in circulation.

In case anyone missed this issue in the news, here is a link from a week or so ago...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040429/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/dollar_coin_4

 

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I agree with you that nothing short of removing the dollar bill, as did Canada when they wanted to adopt a $1 coin, will drive the public to a substitute to their dollar bill. I think that the half is in roughly the same shape, as people are so engrained to the four fractionals and a buck mentality.

Frankly, it wouldn't hurt my feelings either way. The dollar coin is something I have long wished would happen in a big circulating way. But lawmakers cannot figure out how to conduct the nations business while increasing the public's acceptance of them. I certainly think they won't do much better on the coin front.

I hope they stick with the dollar. Incidentally, I don't think the memory of Kennedy is cold enough to take him off the coin just yet. Talk about some noise - that might certainly cause it....

Cris

 

This Dollar is not done yet. I am involved with several congressmen trying to kill this silly series.

 

Here is my proposal...

Kill the concept of a presidential dollar series and adopt the idea of a presidential half dollar series. Starting in 2005, release five presidential half dollars per year in both clad and silver versions. Only honor past presidents 10 years after they ahd their spouse have passed.

 

What I have proposed is no presidential series at all.
What I have suggested, and will over the next series of legislative meetings is for a commemorative series honoring the original founding fathers, along with the first presidents of the continental congress.

 

Thanks for the link. I found it very discouraging. They MUST eliminate the dollar bill, or the dollar coin will fail a third time. I've posted on this before, so I will not repeat here. The GAO study is nonsense. Old habits die hard, and $1 bills are old bad old habits that will not be missed once they are taken away. The GAO should study Canada and Great Britain.

I agree with ND, kill this awful presidential dollar proposal. Who wants to see John Tyler, Andrew Johnson, and Herbert Hoover on coins, other than relatives or people from their home states? Let's face it, some of our presidents were not that good, so let's not cheapen our coinage this way. What can I do to help kill it? ND, Do you have a form letter/e-mail I could send to my congressional reps? I could write my own, but a form letter saves time.

 

I think 40 years is enough for JFK. They gave poor Ben Franklin only 15 years!!!!

 

Drop a note to your congressman.

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq?command=congdir

Mike Castle of my home state of Delaware is the bill sponser.

 

Unlike the Dollar coins, Half Dollar coins don't circulate because people actually like them! They like them so much they hoard them!

The last few weeks, I have been spending Kennedy Halves and getting positive reactions. People just plain like them.

I've finally come to the conclusion (as many of you have) that so long as there is a paper $1 bill, dollar coins will fail. But the Half dollar coin is another matter. People like them. I think the Fed should focus on getting half-dollars to circulate. Remember the add campaign for the Sac Dollar? The same thing for the Kennedy might work. Maybe reissue the Franklin, too?

Personally, I don't mind if they update the Half dollar coin. As long its done well! Whats important to me is that the coins circulate. That is after all what coins are made for.

 

Well I have meetings today, tomorrow, and Friday concerning this dollar coin. Do we really need all 6 coins bearing a president?
Don't wait too long before dropping an email to your congressman.

 

This is the first I've heard of this. Is this still being considered a year later?

In my opinion, in order for a dollar coin to be accepted and circulated, they need to:
1) Stop printing the dolllar bill
2) Make the coin smaller than the half and easily distinguished from a quarter. I like the idea of a bi-metallic coin, like the Canadian $2 coin.

I think there are two problems for acceptance of a dollar coin.
1) Cash registers don't have a separate place for them
2)Do vending machines accept them?

Anyway, I like NationalDealers idea for commemorative coins far better than I do past presidents.

So, what has happened with this idea. Is it still alive or was it killed?

 

Personally, a half dollar isn't much use with the quarter so popular, and people hoard them anyway. I don't think I've ever gotten one as change and nobody spends them. I'd like to see a dollar coin, the Sac could work just fine if there was no bill...as has been said before. But if they want to change the design of the dollar coin...I say make them honor scientific discoveries and advancements like einstein's theories, space achievements, medicine, etc.

 

Where I work the vending machines accept SBAs and Sacs.

I don't like the idea of a bi-metallic coin; I think it would look like a token.

I don't like the idea of putting ex-presidents (or their wives) on coins; I'm sick of politicians.

I wish the Mint would come up with designs like the coins of 1916-1921: coins of beauty, dignity, and grandeur. I don't want them to duplicate those designs (much as I love the ASE and AGE), I want them to design something new but equally fine. Maybe something along the line of the Britannias, but with an American motif.

 

Actually, I would enjoy dollar coins commemorating a different native American chief, one each year.

I really like the bimetalic coins but there isn't anything that is going to please everybody.

 

"I think there are two problems for acceptance of a dollar coin.
1) Cash registers don't have a separate place for them
2)Do vending machines accept them?"

Nearly every register I see has a place for them. It's the one to the far left that usually has a roll or two of coins in it. I think it was actually intended for halves. I have 15 years old vending machines at my car washes that would accept dollar coins from day one. I think I only had to modify one coin slot on a soft drink vendor. I had to file out the slot so the sac would fit through. I think nearly all machines built in the last 15-20 years have been SBA/sac compatible.

I.B.

 

My minority view is well know (probably too well known) to many forum members.

I remain excited and hopeful the proposed Presidential series will become reality. My preference would be for the dollar coin rather than the half.

If it does happen, I would predict it would add to the excitement of coin collecting, and produce new collectors while sering an educational function as well.

 

I'm with you baby!!!