Below is a link to an interesting post covering a number of different topics, including the future of the cent, possible new coin compositions, and a possible new quarter series after ATB (a sports theme?). https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2018/09/committee-hears-mint-and-bep-heads.html
Additionally, apparently the usmint.gov website will also be sell BEP products. An email stated starting Oct 1, but I don't see anything yet on the usmint.gov website.
What the House subcommittee should be discussing is the retirement of the half dollar. The government, which has an ever-increasing supply of half dollars due to their decline in usage at casinos, should cease issuing them for circulation and all extant government stockpiles destroyed. Now, don't get me wrong. I like half dollars from a collecting point of view. However, when the only demand for a monetary instrument is to mine them for a semi-precious metal, it is a sign that it is long since time to say goodbye. Banks will be happy for not having to deal with and handle these heavy and cumbersome coins and the government will be happy for not having to pay millions on an annual basis to store them. Ditto for logistical cash companies not having to mess about transporting, counting, rolling and boxing what are essentially boat anchors.
Halves are still used frequently at casinos when paying black jacks. Lots of $5 minimum tables and black jacks pay 3-2, or $7.50. Hence, the half dollar is cheaper for the casino than making a 50 cent chip.
Got an email today (mint) and a link...... https://catalog.usmint.gov/shop/cur...e&cm_mmca1=Drop&cm_mmca2=Active&cm_mmca3=BEP1
That's not an accurate statement to make. While half dollars are no longer technically minted for circulation anymore, this is due entirely to there being more than enough supply to satisfy demand for them in Federal Reserve (government) depositories. Federal Reserve depositories have millions upon millions of half dollars in inventory ready to distribute as demand requires. Only, demand for them is negligible and inventory grows larger by the year as casinos increasingly shift away from using them.
So where is the demand generated? Casinos? Guys buying rolls or bags of coins? I don't see a problem. The presidential dollars were a problem back in the beginning. People refused to use them so the danged things were stockpiled in a warehouse in 'goodness knows where'. Today, they're only minted for collectors. I can't see half dollars causing the same problem.
But is that still true, or have they quietly started making them for circulation again? If you look at the mintage figures the 2014, 2015, and 2016 show just a few million coins, just what was needed for the mint sets, roll sets, and bag sales. But the mintages for 2017 and 2018 have suddenly jumped by about ten million more coins than are needed for those purposes, and recent a member of one of the forums (don't remember if it was this one or not) received from his bank an entire box of MS 2017 D half dollars, solid rolls and not US Mint rolls. With the jump in mintages, it looks like the Fed may have started placing orders for half dollars with the mint again.
But why get rid of a coin if there is demand for it? I agree if there was no demand for halfs then stop making them, but if there is demand, what’s the reason to stop exactly. This isn’t a one cent issue where the coin cost more to make then it is worth.
