By The Way...

Thursday, February 15, 2007
8:57:00 AM EST
Hearing Nothing at the moment


The new dollar coins come out today: like the state quarters, these will have multiple designs, highlighting four presidents a year through Richard Nixon (although one suspects Gerald Ford will be added before the run is complete). Naturally, George Washington's coin comes first. He's looking awfully stern, however. I kind of wish someone would make a picture of the man smiling.

Will people collect these coins? Sure, and indeed, coin collectors are a primary reason for creating the coins at all. But will people use these coins? Not any more than they use the Sacajawea dollar coin, I'd suppose. That's because Americans prefer their dollars in bill form (or think they do, anyway), so as long as they keep making the bills, people will use them instead of the dollar coins. Dollar bills are more expensive than the dollar coins (bill cost less to make, but they wear out sooner), and it makes sense just to cut out dollar bills entirely, but the US Treasury doesn't seem to want to do that. So expect to see these coins rarely if at all.

Be that as it may, I just can't wait for the run of presidents between Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln. Who doesn't want a Zachary Taylor dollar coin? As for the coins with James Buchanan (i.e., the man who broke the US)? I'll get them just to pound nails through them. Although technically defacing US currency is against the law. So, shhhhh. Don't tell.

You looking forward to the new dollar coins? You actually going to use them?


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This entry has 10 comments: (Add your own)

• #10 Comment from lurkynat 
  2/17/07 10:52 AM | Permalink

  Hiya John..I saw this on the news.. doe sit mean that the parking meters will be created to accept these new coins?perhaps theyare thinking as well that people will spend more?(kids)
  nat
• #9 Comment from monponsett 
  2/16/07 11:56 PM | Permalink

  Don't blame Canada. Blame yourself.
• #8 Comment from h0llyk911 
  2/16/07 12:58 AM | Permalink

  I have a roll of these bad boys sitting on my nightstand.  My hubby bought a whole roll.  A WHOLE ROLL - which he'll "never spend" and plans to "get all forty" or whatever.  Now, 'scuse me while I put that roll to use as my hubby is sleeping and there is a vending machine full of grape soda two doors down...  muah ha ha.
  --Holly
  http://journals.aol.com/h0llyk911/WelcometoMyLife/entries/2007/02/16/weekend-assignment-152/1915
• #7 Comment from plittle 
  2/15/07 5:32 PM | Permalink

  Canada got around the whole confusion-with-other-coins-issue by making the one dollar and two dollar coins visually disticntive.
  http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/images/symbols_facts&lists/coins.jpg
  -Paul
• #6 Comment from a35ramy 
  2/15/07 4:34 PM | Permalink

  yeah This is the first that I have heard of these. I would like to collect them. If it came right down to it I guess I'd use em too. lol. Ruth

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