The new dollar coins will be distributed February, 2007; one will feature Nixon.
Remember the Eisenhower Dollar? Now that was a dollar’s dollar. It was twice as big as a quarter and felt heavier than it really was and when you had one in your pocket, you knew it was there. One of the reasons that later dollar-coin attempts failed was that their size shrank to smaller than a 50-cent piece. This caused the Susan B. Anthony coin to be nicknamed the “Carter Quarter” because so many people were spending them as 25-cent pieces by mistake.…
Article comments
— go to most recent comments76 - Jet in Columbus
I #68: Good point
77 - Jet in Columbus
Geoff 69-People see imaginary symbolism everywhere, there was a pyramid on the money long before 1959, did that make us Egyptian?
78 - monoglot
Will these be the first U.S. coins to not feature the word "Liberty"?
79 - Jet in Columbus
STM 70-I've GOT to see Australia! You know our country used to be the most open of any in the world and lately other countries are putting us to shame.
Mexico City, Great Britain, Canada even South Africa have gay marriage. Other countries have full nudity on TV and no one gasps as you pointed out STM. Now a lot of nay-sayers yell that a lot of countries don't have those laws, Well that's because it's not an issue and there's no NEED for a law.
It seems like year after year we're getting mentally tight-assed more and more. Religion has invaded our public schools with "intelligent Design" so much that we're falling way behind the rest of the world in Science and especially medicine, because the born-agains have insisted that it be taught that most science is only theory instead of fact.
I think we're only now seeing a final backlash against that trend now. the voters turned down a law in South Dakota making abortion illegal, and they turned down an anti gay measure in Arizona.
The truth is, most Americans don't want to admit that religion isn't all that important in their lives Oh it's good for taking the kids to sunday school to make sure they get a good right vs wrong orientation, and it serves to bring communities together, but most people don't have their heads in the clouds, more concerned with how they'll get to heaven instead of what they'll do on earth.
It's all a power grab by huge corporate "churches" trying to grab as much tax-free cash as they can, and hoping the congregation doens't figure out that the "man behind the curtain" isn't really a wizard, nor is he speaking for God (hence Ted haggard) and others.
80 - Jet in Columbus
monoglot #78 Uh... the whole back of the coin is taken up with the statue, and for my money that's good enough for me (forgive the pun)
Besides what with the Bush Administration taking nore and more of our liberties; what with religious-right legislation of morality, warrantless wiretaps and searches, suspending suspect's right to legal representation, rewriting the Geneva Conventions and Bush being able to legally define what a "terrorist" is, it'd seem kind of hypocritical to put the word on our coinage so to speak... don't you think?
81 - STM
Jet: Yes, the whole thing's bizarre. All our Christmas decorations still have Santa and snow, and the whole bizzo. My wife is from Queensland, the sunshine state (up north, as everything's the exact opposite of course of the northern hemisphere), where it gets really, really hot over summer. It's hot here, but up there it's brain-frying hot (which explains a lot about Queenslanders). The hotter it starts to get in the lead-up to Christmas, the more excited she gets as it reminds her of her childhood Christmases.
I just get more miserable, because although I am an Aussie, I lived overseas as a kid (mostly in England) and snow and cold weather is what remind me of childhood Christmases. Most Christmases and new years, I just spend the whole time in our pool up to my neck to escape the heat. We usually open our presents and go for a swim! Sometimes we have a picnic at the beach, with cold turkey and seafood and what have you, but usually it's a hot Christmas lunch, although airconditioning helps a bit.
New Year's eve is fun though, as it's hot outside so everyuone is out on the streets partying all bloody night.
And as for the gay marriage laws, in Australia a common-law same sex de facto marriage is recognised under common law just like any other - gay, straight or sideways.
A partner has full claim under the law to all the benefits, including claims on estate and property. I guess because of that, the fact it's not called marriage by a legal definition has not been much of an issue.
I think generally, gay people don't suffer discrimination in Australia on the level that they might elsewhere. There are very strong anti-vilification laws (for sexual preference, race, colour, background, religious belief, etc) in existence that are very heavily policed.
82 - Jet in Columbus
Sounds like paradise STM... but then again the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence I guess.
Thanks for taking the time to contribute your opinions mate.
Jet
83 - STM
Yes, it is a great place. But I do love going to America as well. They are not that different, and America brings other stuff to the table.
If I had to live anywhere else in the world (apart from a tropical island), it would be America or Britain, or possibly New Zealand or Canada (except it gets too cold).
That says everything, really.
84 - novabeatnik
In God we trust should have never been on our currency. Nor should anything connected to any religion be a part of any government work.
85 - Jet in Columbus
You're absofuckinlootly right there novabeatnik, Happy Thanksgiving.
Jet
86 - Freakkilroy
STM #8
"In God We Trust" was first placed on coins by the U.S. Treasury in 1864, during the Civil War. In 1955, Congress passed a bill to have the motto placed on paper currency, and it first appeared on bills two years later.
In 1956, Congress passed a resolution declaring "In God We Trust" the national motto.
So Much for your "religious zealots"
87 - Jet in Columbus
Id say that pretty much proves the point Freakkilroy, the motto was never on our currency to begin with until a few "religious zealots" put it there.
the Motto is not in the constitution, nor the declaration of independence.
88 - Phillip Winn
Sorry for the confusion earlier, Jet. I didn't mean to say that the *article* was old news, just that I knew about a series of Presidential dollars some time ago. The details are all new to me and everyone else, and the article is a great one.
To whomever earlier misunderstood my comment, I'm well aware of the nature of these coins, and am heartily in favor of getting rid of dollar bills. My wife was Canadian (now a U.S. citizen), and I'm familiar with the "Loonies" and "Toonies" used there.
I don't agree with phasing out the penny, though. Might as well go metric if we're going to decide we don't actually care abut precision. ;-)
89 - Jet in Columbus
No problem Phillip, I'm still lookig for that gold star for my monitor though...
As for the penny, we might as well call it the "tax coin" although retailers are fond of pricing things as ?.99....
(inside joke)
Jet
90 - sr
Jet, you speak Numismatic. What talent U IS. Have a great THANKSGIVING. sr
91 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks SR. Who would've thought... so far just today I've cleared out 4 bloggers who've either ripped off part or all of this article-including the graphics and links!
Happy Thanksgiving back atcha
Jet
92 - Jet in Columbus
I've had several people comment here and other places about...
because they think I was trying to say that paper money is produced at the mint. I wasn't.... uh this an article about a series of coins to replace the paper dollar... that makes it a mint problem.
Jet
93 - Brent
I was at dinner the other night and in our change was a 1946 nickel. Enjoying the brief history lesson, we all took a look and lo and behold, there it was: "In God We Trust".
So what's all this circumstantial talk about 1959?
PS - Personally, I don't care whether it's there or not. It's just money.
94 - STM
Jet said: "You know our country used to be the most open of any in the world and lately other countries are putting us to shame."
Jet -I think Australia's always been a pretty open place ... at least since the mid-19th century.
Think about it: our first settlers were naughty convicts, irish rebels and women of ill-repute, yours were puritans.
Not hard to work out where all the fun's gonna be ... the idiot Brits sent all the party people to the best place, while they stayed in England - cold, wet and miserable.
95 - STM
STM #8
Freakkilroy: wrote: " "In God We Trust" was first placed on coins by the U.S. Treasury in 1864, during the Civil War. In 1955, Congress passed a bill to have the motto placed on paper currency, and it first appeared on bills two years later.
In 1956, Congress passed a resolution declaring "In God We Trust" the national motto.
So Much for your "religious zealots"."
Freakilroy, you are a dribbler. That wasn't even my post. I couldn't give a rat's arse about what you've got on your coins. You could have in Cod We Trust and a picture of a dirty great fish for all I care.
I'm not even American. I already have $1 and $2 coins in my country and it's not an issue since the $1 and $2 notes were phased out. That is why I am commenting on Jet's piece.
BTW jet ... we phased out 1c and 2c coins too, so the lowest coin is a 5c. Retailers just round out to the nearest 5c - up or down.
Our 1c coins used to be perfect for taking to America as they were the same size as a dime and could be used in American vending machines .... Years ago, that worked fine. You'd have to have an awful lot of them now (I still have a huge bag of copper as it didn't seem worth the bother of cashing them in), but I suspect they worked out the rort ages back.
Of course, not that I'd engage in such criminal behaviour, nor condone it, especially as a former smoker who believed in paying maximum price for a packet of smokes.
Great for cheap sodas too!
96 - Clavos
Think about it: our first settlers were naughty convicts, irish rebels and women of ill-repute, yours were puritans.
Really, only the Mayflower people and a few after them were Puritans; most of the rest of the colonists were a mixed bag of malcontents, debtors, and convicts.
Oglethorpe's entire party of colonists in Georgia, for example, were all taken from HM prisons.
97 - STM
STM's handy travel hints for America #372:
Oh, and did I forget to mention also that our 10c coin used to work in vending machines across the United States instead of a US quarter.
Not that I'd know for sure, of course, never having tried such a reprehensible thing.
BTW, Does anyone know anything about the statute of limitations for federal vending machine offences??
98 - Clavos
STM,
BTW, Does anyone know anything about the statute of limitations for federal vending machine offences??
The FBI has been asking about your IP address...
99 - STM
"The FBI has been asking about your IP address..."
Great, they get a free holiday in Sydney and I get one in Atwater. Sounds like a REALLY fair deal for putting 1c coins into a vending machine instead of dimes.
It wasn't me guys, I only watched while the rest of those criminally minded Australians did it. Honest. I didn't even get my discount Cherry Coke. And I tried to stop them, even when they begged me for more coin.
I can name them all too: Johnno, Mick, Stevo, Wrightie, Lambo, Macca, Coombsie and Rollsy.
Good luck trying to find the bastards. Their wives can't.
100 - Jet in Columbus
Brent, that was when it was put on our paper money
101 - STM
"Oglethorpe's entire party of colonists in Georgia, for example, were all taken from HM prisons."
That Oglethorpe sounds like a smart bloke :)
102 - Jet in Columbus
Anyone who'd put "In God We Trust" on our money or as our motto is not a religious Zealott????
Okay, now think about this... Why was it necessary in the first place. Were we such heathens that they felt we needed to be constantly reminded?
It would've been taken as a given wouln't it have?
103 - Jet in Columbus
from the US treasury
...The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861. It was written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M. R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania...
...It was found that the Act of Congress dated January 18, 1837, prescribed the mottoes and devices that should be placed upon the coins of the United States. This meant that the mint could make no changes without the enactment of additional legislation by the Congress. In December 1863, the Director of the Mint submitted designs for new one-cent coin, two-cent coin, and three-cent coin to Secretary Chase for approval. He proposed that upon the designs either OUR COUNTRY; OUR GOD or GOD, OUR TRUST should appear as a motto on the coins...
...The Congress passed the Act of April 22, 1864. This legislation changed the composition of the one-cent coin and authorized the minting of the two-cent coin. The Mint Director was directed to develop the designs for these coins for final approval of the Secretary. IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin....
...The use of IN GOD WE TRUST has not been uninterrupted. The motto disappeared from the five-cent coin in 1883, and did not reappear until production of the Jefferson nickel began in 1938. Since 1938, all United States coins bear the inscription. Later, the motto was found missing from the new design of the double-eagle gold coin and the eagle gold coin shortly after they appeared in 1907. In response to a general demand, Congress ordered it restored, and the Act of May 18, 1908, made it mandatory on all coins upon which it had previously appeared. IN GOD WE TRUST was not mandatory on the one-cent coin and five-cent coin. It could be placed on them by the Secretary or the Mint Director with the Secretary's approval.
The motto has been in continuous use on the one-cent coin since 1909, and on the ten-cent coin since 1916. It also has appeared on all gold coins and silver dollar coins, half-dollar coins, and quarter-dollar coins struck since July 1, 1908.
A law passed by the 84th Congress (P.L. 84-140) and approved by the President on July 30, 1956, the President approved a Joint Resolution of the 84th Congress, declaring IN GOD WE TRUST the national motto of the United States. IN GOD WE TRUST was first used on paper money in 1957, when it appeared on the one-dollar silver certificate. The first paper currency bearing the motto entered circulation on October 1, 1957. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) was converting to the dry intaglio printing process. During this conversion, it gradually included IN GOD WE TRUST in the back design of all classes and denominations of currency.
As a part of a comprehensive modernization program the BEP successfully developed and installed new high-speed rotary intaglio printing presses in 1957. These allowed BEP to print currency by the dry intaglio process, 32 notes to the sheet. One-dollar silver certificates were the first denomination printed on the new high-speed presses. They included IN GOD WE TRUST as part of the reverse design as BEP adopted new dies according to the law. The motto also appeared on one-dollar silver certificates of the 1957-A and 1957-B series.
BEP prints United States paper currency by an intaglio process from engraved plates. It was necessary, therefore, to engrave the motto into the printing plates as a part of the basic engraved design to give it the prominence it deserved.
One-dollar silver certificates series 1935, 1935-A, 1935-B, 1935-C, 1935-D, 1935-E, 1935-F, 1935-G, and 1935-H were all printed on the older flat-bed presses by the wet intaglio process. P.L. 84-140 recognized that an enormous expense would be associated with immediately replacing the costly printing plates. The law allowed BEP to gradually convert to the inclusion of IN GOD WE TRUST on the currency. Accordingly, the motto is not found on series 1935-E and 1935-F one-dollar notes. By September 1961, IN GOD WE TRUST had been added to the back design of the Series 1935-G notes. Some early printings of this series do not bear the motto. IN GOD WE TRUST appears on all series 1935-H one-dollar silver certificates.
Below is a listing by denomination of the first production and delivery dates for currency bearing IN GOD WE TRUST:
DENOMINATION PRODUCTION DELIVERY
$1 Federal Reserve Note February 12, 1964 March 11, 1964
$5 United States Note January 23, 1964 March 2, 1964
$5 Federal Reserve Note July 31, 1964 September 16, 1964
$10 Federal Reserve Note February 24, 1964 April 24, 1964
$20 Federal Reserve Note October 7, 1964 October 7, 1964
$50 Federal Reserve Note August 24, 1966 September 28, 1966
$100 Federal Reserve Note August 18, 1966 September 27, 1966
104 - Jet in Columbus
Clavos your comment 96 would seem to indicate the dangers of a MONORITY infecting the majority with their selfrighteous self-serving agenda.
No wonder Pat Robertson still teaches that God rose up George Washington and sent him like a Moses to found a theocracy in this country.
Which of course isn't true, but if you teach kids that, they'll believe it, like they now believe that science is only a theory and that Intelligent design is fact.
105 - Jet in Columbus
Clavos vending machine crimes would fall under the heading of petty crime, if anything there'd be a 7 year SOL, I'd be careful STM someone could be looking to have you brought here to face charges for a stolen bottle of coke and a package of gum.
106 - STM
I think the real issue here is not the America-wide vending machine 1c coin crime spree but the interstate flight (even though we drove ... and that's another story). Then there is the small issue of having left the country. I believe any crime that involves interstate flight or leaving the US then goes into the federal jurisdiction.
I am waiting for two dudes in bad suits and dark glasses with shocking haircuts and ear pieces to come knockin' on my door, dangling FBI badges.
Agent Smith and his mate Agent Smith. At least they'll be more interesting than the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons.
107 - Jet in Columbus
Oh dear God, the Jehovah's witness protection program???? Quick, head for mexico before you're extradicted!!!! Dave Nalle might be able to help he's in texas.
108 - STM
I reckon Dave might even work for the government .... scary
109 - Jet in Columbus
Nah, he just plays one on TV
110 - Ian
The dollar coin is needed for foreigners mostly. The Euro nows buys $1.31 and the the dollar is getting even weaker. So now that a single dollar means nothing, especially it shouldn't be anything more than chump 'change.'
111 - Jet in Columbus
Ian, as much as I hate to admit it, I think you're right. the dollar now is worth as much as our international respect has fallen to, under Bush.
112 - STM
Come on guys, things ain't that bad. You have to remember that while the euro is worth more than the dollar, as is the British pound, you get a lot less of 'em in your pay packet.
International exchange rates and the GDPs of countries tend to be based around the value of the US dollar, so it's very much an artificial yardstick.
Here's an example: Australia's GDP per capita is around US$32,000, I believe second only to the US ($41,600 - and pushed up by the number of mega-wealthy). However, even with purchasing power parity the measurement is artificial to some extent. Consider this: I earn around A$150,000, which translates to about US$100,000. However, dollar for dollar, I can do as much in Australia with my $150,000 as I could in the US if I earned US$150,000 (I have done the maths). But even here, and supporting a family and a mortgage and without the kind of generous tax relief offered in the US, it's still a struggle. The counterpoint to that is that I have top-quality, universal free medical care, so it all comes out in the wash I guess.
Conversely, I was recently offered a job in the UK where the international exchange rate translated my dollar amount to around 65,000 pounds sterling. I didn't take the job, despite a small addition to the pay, as what you can do on that in a city like London is nothing compared to what I can do in Sydney on the same money (the price of petrol, for instance, is a third of the price it is in the UK, and quality fresh food is much cheaper, as is the price of housing outside the exclusive suburbs but still within the close-commuter belt).
Simply quoting the exchange rate is silly ... it doesn't mean very much.
But we have probably got away a bit from from the main thrust here: America, it probably is time you gave up the paper dollar and embraced the coin. It just works better for a whole range of things - and costs a lot less to make.
That, really, is the key issue, not what the dollar will buy.
113 - Jet in Columbus
STM, I had to read that twice to understand it, but I thank you for explaining it. I like learning from my readers.
Jet
114 - jaime
....parking meters,slot machines,vending machines,hookers,carwash, it's still money and will take it from you!
115 - Jet in Columbus
Jaime, all true and all very ironic. They'll take any way they can get ti from ya. There are a lot of municipalities that don't want to go to the expense of upgrading their parking meters to accept the coins though, and that's a big reason for the resistance.
Thanks for posting
Jet
116 - itoldyouso
God and religion is squashed in america. Separation of state and church, 1st amendments rights, atheists, agnostics, and other minority groups win. The Alabama judge was nearly thrown in jail, God is being errased by the mint, its a holiday tree in NYC, thanksgiving is a joke because it means religious prayers, and santa is taboo because it is tied to xmas which is also taboo, and Christians are thrown to the lions. But what about the military chaplains?? Should'nt all military chaplains and on post worship religious churches also be abolished? Please throw me a bone.
117 - Jet in Columbus
Conggratulations itoldyouso! You win the prize for the most assinine remark made on this article so far!
I'm so proud!
118 - IgnatiusReilly
"Please throw me a bone."
How about the one in my middle finger?
119 - sr
Must agree #116, however you remove Christ from Christmas with xmas. Like Im such a holy example making this comment with my rat-trap stinky mouth.
"What's happening!! Mr Jet in the world of numismatics? Later
120 - IgnatiusReilly
Actually the "x" stands for Christ, so you aren't removing it. Now if you called ithe holiday Secular-Progressivemas, you would be removing it.
121 - Jet in Columbus
Ignatios, well I guess that's another way of putting it.
122 - Jet in Columbus
Itoldyouso, God and religion are NOT removed from our coutnry, what is being removed, slowly but surely is the influence of jerks like you who believe that unless it's YOUR particular "brand" of religion, than there can be no other.
We all worship God and Jesus Christ in our own way, some fervently, others less so. None are more or less wrong or right. But people like you who believe that it can be one way or not at all sicken me. If we all donw worship like you, then it's removing god and Christ from America, bacause unless it's your brand, it doesn't count, so all the rest of us are irrelivant... Therefore if your influence is being removed it's the removal of religion, if anyone else's is being removed, or coming to the forefront, it's nonexistant.
123 - Jet in Columbus
SR Christ was removed from christmas about 30 years ago when big business and department stores purchased the holiday wholesale.
124 - sr
I know that Jet. Will shop at K-Mart or the local dollar store. Bought a real diamond ring at the local gumball machine. The wife will never know being the trailer trash she is. She will think it's from Elis. Thank you, Thank you very much.
125 - sr
Ignatius. Looked it up in my bible. Found the verse. Thanks.