Congress approves bill to create dollar coins depicting former presidents

[Thom Little]

New dollar coins featuring all 37 of the nation's dead presidents will begin rolling out of the U.S. Mint in 2007 under a bill Congress is sending to President Bush.

Lawmakers hope the coins - and an accompanying $10 gold piece for collectors featuring former first ladies - will be a big money raiser for the government like the 50-state quarter program. They also hope the dollar pieces will rev up interest in the Sacagawea dollars, which have been little-used.

The quarter program had raked in roughly $4 billion in revenues by its midpoint, said Becky Bailey, a U.S. Mint spokeswoman.

"The dollar coin is a valuable educational tool - much like the 50-state quarter series - that will help inspire interest in the history of the leaders of our country," Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., the sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement. It passed the House 291-113.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/ND_CONGRESS_COINS_NDOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-12-13-20-41-14

[Earth_First]

1. So THIS is how they are spending their days in Congress before the break..

I would have thought they'd better spend their time on, oh maybe Katrina related efforts...

[sniffa]

2. we'LL get that reagan coin so heLp me god

betcha a new dead presidentiaL coin that they start with the most recentLy deceased and work backwards.

they'LL stop at nixon.

[DRoseDARs]

7. Off-topic question for you sniffa:

Why is it, whenever I see your posts your L's are aLways capitaLized? Without faiL, everytime Like cLockwork. I've aLways wondered about this.

[Catch22Dem]

10. Let me see if I can answer

If I recall, it's showing pride in the L for Liberal.

[sniffa]

13. that's correct

:bounce:

[Catch22Dem]

16. See, momma didn't raise no dummy! (n/t)

[AndyTiedye]

9. They Should Put Reagan's Picture on Government BONDS

because Reagan took government deficits to a whole new level of vastness.
The Bushes both took it even further, so they have also earned places on future
instruments of government debt.

Clinton ran a surplus.

[trogdor]

14. Get out the engraving tools.

Prizes for the best-defaced Reagan, Nixon, or Bush 41/43 dollar coins.

[Harry S Truman]

3. What a joke.

More brain-dead politicians preserved in worshipful metal.
Where's my Millard Fillmore dollar?

[Dr Fate]

4. Cool- I cant wait to collect the FDR, Truman, JFK & Johnson coins...

as well as the Lincoln, Jefferson and I'm sure a few others...

[WestMichRad]

5. There's only one reaction I have to this news:

:puke:

[EFerrari]

18. Welcome to DU, WestMichRad. Let me join you:

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[anotherdrew]

6. are they going to make them out of plastic? because they should ya know.

maybe they should make ones with sports "heros" too.

[Turbineguy]

8. I'm all for it

a 2006 minting with former U.S. President George W. Bush would be a fine start.

[Demeter]

15. As Long As He's Behind Bars in the Sculpture

otherwise, it won't be legal tender

[Charlie Brown]

11. Do we really need coins with William Henry Harrison and Warren G. Harding?

waste of resources.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

12. That leaves out Georgie since he's just a tinhorn dictator.

[Synnical]

17. Lame - Many Americans don't spend change

That's why, IMO, the dollar coins have been "little-used". I throw my coins in a jar and I must have two dozen of those Sacagawea dollars in there.

Maybe it will sell as a collectors item - but actually be used as currency? :shrug:

[InkAddict]

19. I want to melt down the First Ladies

bucket of water please. "The last shall be first, and the first last."

[CatholicEdHead]

20. Now they will cheer that they have Reagan on a coin now

Watch how much these coins will be pushed in the right wing media.

[eppur_se_muova]

21. Well, they're great for tollbooths.

No worries about the wind catching those $1 bills. I used to keep a stack of Sacagawea coins in the car when I was driving the Mass.-to-W.Va. round trip every weekend.

[superconnected]

22. Doesn't it cost more to create coins than paper.

Yes it does.

gee, and we can't afford school lunches for the poor.

[superconnected]

23. and, it's illegal to do things to hurt money.

I can't be trusted with a regan coin. Of course I can't wait until GW and his father end up on one. Maybe I will collect them after all.

[DeadManInc]

24. We use the dollar coins at work in the vending machines.

The bill changer will give you dollar coins.