Ever wonder why only dead Presidents (People) are on U.S. Coins?

(This was gleaned, excerpted, and edited from the information found on internet. If anyone finds any flaws or has additional info please post!)


Question:

Did you ever wonder why only dead Presidents or People can appear on U.S. Coins?


Answer:

There is actually a law! By an 1866 Act of Congress, no living person can be portrayed on U.S. coins or currency. But this law has been violated a number of times.

The main reason the U.S. is putting only dead Presidents (or people) on U. S. Coins is tradition. Although this tradition was legislated into law in 1866 (one year after the Civil War ended) it has been violated a number of times.

From the very beginning of our nation's founding, patriotic men felt that it was improper to honor any living person by putting their image on the legal tender currency, especially the circulating coins. George Washington declined when our young nation wanted his portrait on the first U.S. Dollar, which was the start of this long tradition.



The early American Patriots were anti-royalists by definition, and royalty have always, since ancient Greek and Roman times, taken pride in putting their image on their coins. The monarch's portrait was a guarantee of the coin's value in ancient societies, sort of an assay mark. However, the ancient republicans, the pro-democracy philosopher sort who formed the Senate in ancient Greece and pre-Imperial Rome, felt very strongly that a living man's portrait did not belong on the coinage of a Republic. In fact, it was Julius Caesar's audacity in putting his living visage on his silver coins that helped spark the rebellion that resulted in Julius Caesar's Assassination.



When the newly-formed United States of America minted its early coinage, it was Miss Liberty (sometimes referred to as a goddess of liberty in early numismatic writings) whose portrait appeared on our coins. The American Eagle usually appeared on the reverse. It wasn't until 1909, the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, that a (dead) president was first featured on U.S. coinage. The Lincoln Cent was intended to be a special commemorative, but it proved so popular that it endures to this day. Other dead presidents soon followed, and we are all familiar with the Jefferson Nickel, Roosevelt Dime, Washington Quarter, and Kennedy Half Dollar.

Today, the federal law states that no living man or woman can appear on the U.S. coinage. Presidents must be dead for at least two years before they are eligible for inclusion on any coin (including the Presidential Dollar series).

Now for a coin that violated this law and was technically illegal!

The United States Sesquicentennial coin issue consisted of a commemorative half dollar (and quarter eagle (gold $2.50 piece)) struck in 1926 at the Philadelphia Mint for the 150th anniversary of American independence.

The obverse of the half dollar features portraits of the first president, George Washington, and Calvin Coolidge, making it the only legal tender American coin to depict person while they were still alive. Interestingly, not only was Calvin Coolidge still alive, he was still serving as President (an office he would hold until 1929).



By the March 1925 Act of Congress, by which the National Sesquicentennial Exhibition Commission was chartered, Congress also allowed it to purchase 1,000,000 specially designed half dollars and 200,000 quarter eagles, which could be sold to the public at a premium. The Commission had trouble agreeing on a design with Mint Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock, and asked Philadelphia artist John Frederick Lewis to submit sketches. These were adapted by Sinnock, without giving credit to Lewis, whose involvement would not be generally known for forty years.

Legislation for a commemorative coin to mark the 150th anniversary of American independence was introduced on behalf of the United States National Sesquicentennial Exhibition Commission, which was charged with organizing what became known as the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia. In the Act of March 3, 1925, Congress both authorized the Commission and allowed one million half dollars and 200,000 quarter eagles to be struck in commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of American Independence.

The obverse of the half dollar features jugate busts of George Washington, first president of the United States, and behind him, Calvin Coolidge, the President of the U.S in 1926. It is perplexing how Calvin Coolidge skirted this law. Not only was he not dead in 1926, he was still President! Maybe he was so popular because of the milk and honey of the roaring 20’s that nobody cared? Or maybe the Commemorative Half was so obscure that nobody noticed (they didn’t really circulate).

According to Anthony Swiatek and Walter Breen, "Having the portraits of both of these men were mistakes. Washington was not president of the Continental Congress in 1776, and Coolidge's portrait was illegal.

At the insistence of the Sesquicentennial Commission, the coins were minted in very shallow relief, and thus struck poorly. Coin dealer and numismatic author Q. David Bowers opined, "from the standpoint of aesthetic appeal the 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollar is near the bottom of the popularity charts along with the 1923-S Monroe half dollar".

The Sesquicentennial Exposition opened in Philadelphia on June 1, 1926. A world’s fair to commemorate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Although it opened to great fanfare, the exposition failed to attract enough visitors to cover its costs. Making things worse, the Commemorative Coins did not sell well and most were sent back to the mint for melting. The fair organization went into bankruptcy receivership in 1927 and its assets were sold at auction.



The Liberty Bell appears on the reverse, making the Sesquicentennial half dollar the first U.S. coin to bear private advertising—that is, the legend "Pass and Stow" on the bell, for the long-defunct partnership of John Pass and John Stow, who recast the bell after it initially broke in 1752. Sinnock's initials JRS are on the obverse, on the truncation of Washington's bust.

Sinnock reused the reverse for the Franklin half dollar, first struck in 1948, the year after his death.



Mint and other publications gave credit for both coins' designs only to Sinnock until Don Taxay published his An Illustrated History of U.S. Commemorative Coinage in 1967, disclosing Lewis's involvement. Taxay referred to "the Mint's ... final, deliberate misattribution of the artist who designed the half dollar" and wrote, "perhaps after these forty years, it is time for a new credit line". Bowers noted, "Lewis and Sinnock should share the credit."

Other exceptions to this 1866 law

Although Sinnock had not previously designed a coin showing a president, he had created presidential medals under Chief Engraver Morgan's direction. Other living Americans, including Virginia Senator Carter Glass, have appeared on commemorative coinage, but Coolidge is the only president to appear on a U.S. coin in his lifetime.

One other notable exception is the 1866 law states a President must be dead for 2 years before their portrait can be used on a U.S.coin. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963 and by mid 1964 Kennedy Half Dollars began to be minted. Only six months later.



This law leads me to display my Presidential Dollar collection. I think it might have been ill advised for the U.S.Mint to start a Presidential Dollar Series without the ability to finish it -- What was the mint thinking? Although I do wonder with several exceptions to this law having been minted in the past -- if perhaps the law might be waived again in 2016 and 2017 so the Presidential Dollar Series can be minted (completed) in its entirety. I am not holding my breath.

 

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Not quite true, as you allude to later!

The first instance of a living person on US coinage was the 1921 Alabama centennial half, featuring Governor T.E. Kilby. Besides the US sesquicentennial half, the 1936 Lynchburg and 1936 Robinson/Arkansas centennial half also featured living people.

 

Interesting post. I have wondered about that several times. But doesn't the mint make the coins the year before their date reads?Would that mean that kennnedy was planning to have his image on the coin while he was alive>?

 

I'm embarrassed to admit that I had forgotten about the Alabama.........heck, dwhiz posted a 2x2 example yesterday.

 

No more lady liberty because we have no more liberties. Franklin was one of the exceptions of being on coinage and not a president.

What's crazy to me is andrew jackson is on the most used bill for transactions and he tried to outlaw banks, what a contradiction.

 

If you exclude the 1848 2 1/2 dollar stamped CAL as a commemorative coin, the first official commemorative becomes the Columbia half dollar of 1892. The 1866 law would have assumed "all coinage" to mean "all coinage intended for circulation," because there was no other kind. Therein lies the loophole through which the living persons found their way in - they occur on commemorative coins rather than circulating ones.

If you don't include commems, the law has been upheld.

 

When the US gained it's independence, there were a few entrepreneurs in England that saw an opportunity to try and get a contract for minting currency for the new nation. They put George Washington's bust on some coins and sent them to all that they assumed to be influential in the politics of the new nation in hopes to get a contract. When George Washington saw his image on these coins he was outraged and became the one who faught the hardest to put it into law. Some of these coins are still around.

 

And it really all boils down to a tradition instigated by Washington. From the beginning of Roman Imperial times, portraying living rulers on coinage has been the norm rather than the exception, even if the ruler is only mentioned in the legends. It's amazing how tenacious this tradition has been, for over two thousand years. US coinage is one of the few exceptions.

 

You only put the dead on coins in case the living do something so criminal or embarrassing that you'd have to recall the lot and melt them down. It is advisable to allow 50 years or so for safety's sake, many of the recently dead have skeletons in their closets as well as in their coffins.

 

When George Washington saw his image on these coins he was outraged and became the one who faught the hardest to put it into law. Some of these coins are still around.

In the 60's I had a (presumably fantasy) 1 ECU coin with Eisenhower's head on it. The ECU was not the old French ecu but a European Currency Unit.

 

To the revolutonist, the portrait of the King on currency, was a symbol of the tyranny that they had just faught so hard to escape from.

 

a symbol of the tyranny that they had just faught so hard to escape from.

Not a lot of tyranny really, just some New World fat cats wanting to keep all the cake. History is so romanticised.

 

Taxation without representation. Bad enough.

 

IDK if I would want Bush or Obama in my pocket or wallet...arent they in it enough?

 

A fantastic post and that is one of the most beautiful Sesquis that I have ever seen. The display of Presidential Dollars is uber cool as well.

 

Great thread.

 

From the dawn of currently-ruling kings on coinage. Issued by Caesar Augustus for his adoptive son, Gaius.

Gaius Caesar, Phyrigia, Laodikeia
Æ15, 2.8g, 12h; Laodikeia, Polemon Philopatris, magistrate, AD 5.
Obv.: ΓΑΙΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ; Bare head of Gaius Caesar right.
Rev.: ΛΑΟΔΙΚΕΩΝ; Eagle standing right, head left, between two monograms which expand to ΠOΛE and ΦIΛOΠAT.
Reference: RPC 2900 (This type was formerly attributed to Caligula).
Notes: ex-G-N; ex-Ephesus Numismatics (Baltimore Expo), 3/28/15; Finest known example of the type.

 

Had to go back and bestow a 'like' on the Pres. pic. Man they's kool.

Winged fellow? You still employing a camera phone to take these pics or have you transitioned to high quality Nikon optics?

 

Great thread, but President Coolidge wasn’t the only living President to be portrayed on a U.S. coin while still serving as President.

 

Another instance of a living President on a US coin was Roosevelt on a US Philippines coin. I should have remembered that one as I have an extensive collection of that series.