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Why did the US Mint stop producing commemoratives b/w 1955-81?
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<p>[QUOTE="Conder101, post: 2070773, member: 66"]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. </p><p><br /></p><p>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"?</p><p><br /></p><p>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.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Conder101, post: 2070773, member: 66"]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.[/QUOTE]
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