Change for nickel: Mint preparing new 5-cent piece | Denver Post

[Ediacara]

Change for nickel: Mint preparing new 5-cent piece

By Annette Espinoza
Denver Post Staff Writer


Post / Craig F. Walker
Thomas Anderson of the Denver Mint shows a new
nickel. The front still features the profile of
Thomas Jefferson, but the back honors the Louisiana
Purchase. In the fall, another design will honor
the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Banks, grocery stores, purses and pockets will soon be carrying shiny new nickels minted in Denver that commemorate the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and honor American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

The new look is the first for nickels since 1938.

They are the first of four designs in the Mint's Westward Journey nickel series.

More at the Denver Post

[zbdent]

1. At least they didn't try to put Reagan's head on the front.

.

[BiggJawn]

4. Need to put out a $2.10 piece with Ray-Gun on it.

To represent most people's hourly wage during that sack-a-shit's reign...

[trogdor]

9. Actually, it was $3.15

I still remember. It was $3.15 in 1980, and it was still $3.15 in 1989.

[BiggJawn]

18. Yeah, $2.10 was in 1975....I've worked for both.

Let's put him on the $3.15 piece with a huge can of PB and a chunka Gubbmint Cheez on the back.

[morgan2]

19. exactly my thoughts when reading it

[maveric]

20. I heard that Strom Thurmonds head will be on it.

For what his 50 years in politics adds up to.

[Not Me]

2. Am I missing something here?

I can understand the recent changes in the currency to make it harder to counterfeit, etc, but why are we spending money we don't need to spend to redesign the quarter and nickel? Aren't there higher priorities?

Just venting.
And yes, I agree--at least they're not pushing for reagan.
Perhaps they are hoping for a reagan silver dollar when he finally goes off to meet his maker.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Mint's gotta do something...

to stay awake. Pretty boring just putting out the same old stuff every year.

Anyway, it shouldn't cost that much for the redesign. They pay someone for the original, and it's probably a mint employee, then they have to replace the dies on the coinmaking machines every so often as it is.

I'd say put Reagan on the plugged nickel.

[Robb]

7. Actually, these things have been brilliant successes:

There's a great article in Fast Company about how cool the mint has become. Great quote: There aren't many companies founded by Thomas Jefferson that are selling products on the Internet" :D

[SoCalDem]

14. I had the same thought.. We are supposedly broke

and stuff like this costs a lot of money.. Most people probably coouldn't care less what a nickel looks like..:)

[Ediacara]

16. it doesn't cost much

They have the replace the dies often enough when they stamp coins. Plus, people buy commemerative coins from the mint at huge premiums, so this might actually MAKE them some money.

[Art_from_Ark]

21. You're absolutely right, DinoBoy

They do have to replace dies on a regular basis. Plus, the cost of creating a new design, especially for just one side, is peanuts. For example, Felix Schlag, the original designer of the Jefferson nickel (look under Jefferson's bust for his initials) was paid a paltry $1000 for his designs back in 1938. More recently, Glenna Goodacre, the designer of the Sacajawea dollar, got a mere $5000 for her efforts. So, the costs to create a new design are very low. And, as you said, the novelty of a new design means that more people will pay premiums to buy special collector strikes of the coins. So the Mint is going to make a pile of money from this new nickel, just like it has been making a ton of money from the state quarters.

By the way, Glenna Goodacre's payment of $5000 seems like peanuts, but she got the last laugh. She was paid in 5000 of the very first Sacajawea dollars, which had a special strike that the regular dollars do not have. These special strike dollars command a hefty premium. In fact, Ms. Goodacre sold nearly 3000 of them for $200 each!

http://home.earthlink.net/~smalldollars/dollar/page24.html

[Mountainman]

5. How about a wooden nickle with Bush's picture on it

Or how about a plug nickle with Cheney on it. Both would be worthless just like their namesakes.

[saigon68]

8. You can't buy SQUAT

WITH A NICKEL----

There aren't even parking meters that take them

[Muddleoftheroad]

11. Where do YOU park?

I use them.

To paraphrase: "A nickel saved is a nickel earned."

[saigon68]

23. Milwaukee

[Tommy_Douglas]

6. May as well put Bush on it...

He's such a great leader and much like the dimesized bullet slug. I'm sure they'd find a bunch of nickel sized tumors where Bush's brain is supposed to be.

[PeanutOne]

10. Bush would be on the three dollar bill

I mean really, is their anyone phonier than Little Dubya from Texas...I mean Connecticut???

[Ediacara]

12. Actually QEII is on the $3 bill

In the Bahamas!

[Muddleoftheroad]

17. I think he would be afraid that is too "queer"

:)

[arwalden]

13. More Images...

[Ediacara]

15. I think these designs are great

But man, I wish Jefferson was honored on something more than a nickel (worthless) and the $2 bill (never seen) :-)

[Vas Liz]

22. Special Bushivik edition

This new 5 cent coin is enhanced with a one way radio and finger print transmitter care of the Bush admin. Now you too can feel like a part of 1984!

(jk of course)