Another Half Dollar Coin Redesign Act
Drago the Wolf
http://www.forgottenfounders.org/halfdollar.htm
What are the likely possiblities of this act passing?
Also, in the "Removal of Barriers to Circulation" section, does the
legislation state that ALL vending machines must be retooled and
reprogramed to take halves? Or was that just for governent vending
machines?
This would be a good idea, if they started making machines accept and
depense halves (and $2 bills) and maybe the government should just
scrap the $1 coin idea, since nobody wants it, and just switch to
using polymer plastic Federal Reserve notes, as I have heard that the
polymer plastic bills last up to four times longer than the current
cotton/linen banknotes we have, and are more sanitary as well, and, if
polymer banknotes last four times longer, and a current cotton/linen
$1 bill lasts about 18 months (a year and a half) think of the savings
the government would gain from polymer $1 bills lasting for 6 years or
so. There would be almost no need to replace the $1 bill with a dollar
coin.
Also, another way to get polymer $1 bills to last longer is to have
vending machines programed to give out polymer $2 bills as well, and
try to get retailers to use $2 bills to save the government money on
printing less $1 bills.
This way, the people get to keep their $1 bills, and the government
saves money on the switch to polymer and longer lasting $1 bills.
Problem solved. Everyone is happy. (Well, except dollar coin
supporters, anyway)
Also, even though the government is bent on minting tons of special
quarters, for collectors and hoarders, I'm sure that minting a bunch
of special halves as well, would also save some money on minting less
quarters than originally planned.
Lets do these two ideas, redesign the $1 and $2 bills to match the
other bills and redesign the $1 $2 and $5 bills EVERY time the $10 and
higher denominations are redesigned to keep the U.S. currency
uniformed, scrap the $1 coin idea, and set up cash register drawers
the way they were meant to be set up: COINS 1c, 5c, 10c, 25c, 50c, and
BILLS $1, $2, $5, $10, $20. $50 and $100 (and if they ever issue
higher denominations) go under the drawer or under the $20s.
As I said, and people here agreed, get vendors to accept and dipense
halves and $2s and they WILL circulate. So why not just use these
ideas?
Tom
Arizona Coin Collector
"Drago the Wolf" <malanu...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:d9a98b89-3b69-44f5...@g1g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
Hello
If you willing to knock yourself out researching,
go to the two links shown below. I did do a search
on the bill name "U.S. Founding Half-Dollar Coin
Act of 2009", using the Library of Congress web
link shown below. As of Tuesday, June 30, 2009, I
did not see any bill with this name. You can check
back later to see if it shows up.
Advance Bill Summary and Status Search for the 111th
Congress - Thomas (Library of Congress)
http://www.thomas.gov/bss/d111query.html
Federal Regulations (Coin Vending Machine Question)
..
Frank Galikanokus
The only thing we need to do is stop printing paper dollars.
JAM
oly
There will be nothing done with the present half-dollar as long as Ted
Kennedy is still alive. After that, who knows??? oly
mazorj
"oly" <oly...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:4099c8f5-c2c9-4092...@b14g2000yqd.googlegroups.com...
...
< There will be nothing done with the present half-dollar as long as
Ted
Kennedy is still alive. After that, who knows??? oly
JFK had a fairly noble profile that was perfect for coining. I'd hate
to even imagine what a likeness of Teddy would have to look like in
order to be reasonably current, remain recognizable, and not be
mistaken for Taft without the mustache. Blech.
Fortunately the JFK half was crafted before the classic standards of
coin design had fallen victim to the cheap and fugly flat cartoons of
digital design. Which is another reason why they should never issue a
Teddy. Even JFK's visage would suffer if rendered with the numismatic
equivalent to CGI.
- mazorj
"Esthetics above politics"
oly
> "oly" <oly2...@aol.com> wrote in message
I wasn't suggesting that Ted would ever replace his brother John, not
at all.
I am simply stating that it would be impolite and impolitic to make
any changes to the present half dollar until Senator Kennedy isn't on
this side of the old sod anymore. They might even have to wait until
President Kennedy no longer has any living siblings. Then there might
be an opportunity for change.
oly
Mike Marotta
> ... maybe the government should just
> scrap the $1 coin idea, since nobody wants it, and just switch to
> using polymer plastic
This is a debate we have here occasionally. I think that the
consensus among numismatists is that the coin is preferable to the
paper note on many grounds, but we recognize that "people" (the
unnamed collective) _say_ that they want the paper and in practice
prefer the paper from inertia. First and foremost: does your wallet
have a change purse? Women fiddle with change. (That's a pun, for
sure.) You see them at the checkout fishing for cents and nickels.
Men break the bill and toss the change in a jar when they get home.
In the old days, men's wallets had change purses built in because you
actually could get newspapers, bus rides, and large candy bars for
nickels and dimes.
Also, at that time, state sales tax in Ohio was 3% on the dollar -- 1,
2, and 3 at 29, 59 and 89 cents, I think., But with our present tax
scales, there are few ways for the change to work out. The point
being that a 50-cent coin does you little good these days. We have
had a 90% deprecriation in the dollar over the last 50 years, judging
by the price of gum, newspapers, bus rides and gasoline. I met an
anti-inflation leftwing group that indexed its claims against the cost
of a first class one-ounce letter: 3 cents then, 47 now. I guess
that's something you can do with a half rock, but what do you do with
the change therefrom?
>> oly said: "I wasn't suggesting that Ted would ever replace his brother John, not
at all. I am simply stating that it would be impolite and impolitic
to make
any changes to the present half dollar until Senator Kennedy isn't on
this side of the old sod anymore..."
I caught your meaning <wink wink> <nudge nudge> got your drift, eh...
Eunice Kennedy Shriver made her way to a commemorative coin, a rare
feat for a living person.
Mike M.
Michael E. Marotta
"Ymechla: changing gold into lead."
Bruce Remick
"oly" <oly...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:4099c8f5-c2c9-4092...@b14g2000yqd.googlegroups.com...
_______________
And even then, only coin collectors would likely be aware of any future
change to the half dollar design.
Still waiting to receive my first 2009 Lincoln in change, along with my
first dollar coin. The "new" nickels seem to appear in change at an
equivalent rate of about 2-3 per roll, and a roll of quarters here will
still have more of the "regular" quarters than state quarters.
Michael Benveniste
>As I said, and people here agreed, get vendors to accept and dipense
>halves and $2s and they WILL circulate. So why not just use these
>ideas?
As I do about twice a week, I paid for parking today with a pair of
$2 bills. They're easier to stuff than 4 singles into the self-pay
slot.
On the other hand, I see very little advantage to carrying around
half dollar coins. Two quarters weigh exactly the same amount, and
even if vending machines took halves, I'd still be more likely to
have exact change with the quarters. Similarly, I see no real
advantage in stocking halves in a cash drawer.
--
Mike Benveniste -- m...@murkyether.com (Clarification Required)
Don't succumb to the false authority of a tool or model. There
is no substitute for thinking.
Bruce Remick
"Michael Benveniste" <m...@murkyether.com> wrote in message
news:2s3l45djkpk87a6qb...@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:25:17 -0700 (PDT), Drago the Wolf wrote:
>
>>As I said, and people here agreed, get vendors to accept and dipense
>>halves and $2s and they WILL circulate. So why not just use these
>>ideas?
>
> As I do about twice a week, I paid for parking today with a pair of
> $2 bills. They're easier to stuff than 4 singles into the self-pay
> slot.
>
> On the other hand, I see very little advantage to carrying around
> half dollar coins. Two quarters weigh exactly the same amount, and
> even if vending machines took halves, I'd still be more likely to
> have exact change with the quarters. Similarly, I see no real
> advantage in stocking halves in a cash drawer.
Or cash in your stocking drawer?
Scratchmo
they are. They may change the pose, but Jefferson will be always be on
the nickel, Washington on the quarter.. etc. I call it the "sacred cow
syndrome". These coins were originally intended to honor these
presidents. To suggest JFK be removed from the half dollar coin would
be viewed as dishonoring him from any senator or congressman who dare
suggest it. It's a political hot button that nobody wants to push no
matter how much it would mean to the numismatic community or to Mint
revenue. Ever wonder why they didn't change the obverse of the
quarter dollar when they introduced the state quarter program?
It's a wonder they ever got SBA off the dollar coin. There was very
much opposition to this when they were discussing designs for the new
"golden dollar". Even now, with the presidential series doing well,
the Sacagawea design is still being produced to satisfy NOW (among
other groups) and keep this decidedly "woman coin" still in
production. That's why we couldn't get Lady Liberty on the new piece.
She isn't considered a real woman. Think I'm kidding or making this
up? I was there campaigning strongly for Liberty, but apparently
Hillary already had her friend lined up to design the politically
correct POS we ended up with. Apparently HRC didn't read the coinage
act of 1792 to to discover that Sacagawea does NOT fit within the
guidelines. George Washington is rolling in his grave.
Bob F.
"Scratchmo" <rlan...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:305ebbcb-3030-4fa8...@n16g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
> It's a wonder they ever got SBA off the dollar coin.
It's more of a wonder that she got on it in the first place.
Ike was a beloved president and WWII hero and it would have been just as
easy to continue using his profile on the mini-dollar (like they did
with the reverse).
The SBA was decried as hideously ugly upon its release and that opinion
hasn't been mellowed in the intervening years.
Anyhoo...
I've despaired of ever seeing attractive circulating coinage again in my
lifetime.
When I was a kid, Walking Liberty halves were still commonly seen in
circulation as were Mercury dimes, Buffalo nickels and Standing Liberty
quarters (albeit well worn).
I don't recall ever getting an Indian cent from circulation back then.
Those were beautifully designed coins.
I'd like to see coins go back to a representation of Liberty on the
obverse and an attractive eagle or wreath design on the reverse.
But today's designs are put together by a committee, boiled down to the
most inoffensive, politically-correct, ineffectual designs possible.
This is worsened by the modern CAD/CAM manufacture of masters.
Most of the commemorative coinage follows this practice too with most of
the modern commems being singularly unattractive.
Even when the Mint resurrected the Walker for the silver eagle and the
St. Gaudens for the gold eagle, they slapped on horrible generic
reverses.
We need another Teddy Roosevelt to come along and make our coinage
something our country can be proud of.
Scratchmo
> "Scratchmo" <rland...@cox.net> wrote in message
AMEN!!
David Cornell
on their respective coins it might be politically more expedient to
demand that they be *promoted* to the half dollar. Go to the Roosevelt
supporters and suggest to them that Roosevelt deserves a coin as least
as big and impressive as Kennedy's. Why should he be relegated to the
tiny, insignificant dime, when he could be more properly honored on the
half dollar. When someone objects, start a campaign to say that they are
"dishonoring" Roosevelt. Repeat the process for Lincoln, Jefferson, and
Washington.
If we could pull this off, then you would have multiple half dollars
issued each year, but that's no worse than the multiple dollars and
quarter dollars that we have now.
Half dollars don't circulate much anyway, so the Mint would not need to
make many each year.
This would free up the cent, nickel, dime, and quarter for new designs.
It would probably make it easier to kill off the cent, if desired, once
Lincoln had been "promoted" to the half dollar.
David Cornell
Scratchmo
Good idea David, but be forewarned... you may find beating your head
against a brick wall to be more productive and rewarding.
Drago the Wolf
>
> As I do about twice a week, I paid for parking today with a pair of
> $2 bills. They're easier to stuff than 4 singles into the self-pay
> slot.
>
> On the other hand, I see very little advantage to carrying around
> half dollar coins. Two quarters weigh exactly the same amount, and
> even if vending machines took halves, I'd still be more likely to
> have exact change with the quarters. Similarly, I see no real
> advantage in stocking halves in a cash drawer.
>
Its good to see that some people are viewing $2s as "useful" but the
difference between $2s and halves is, two $2 bills can save you the
hassle of carrying four $1 bills, where with halves, they can only
save you from carrying two quarters, otherwise, you could carry three
quarters for 75 cents, which is only one more necessary quarter versus
two more quarters, and for four quarters, you just carry a $1 bill (or
$1 coin). Still, I'd rather carry a half and a quarter over three
quarters, should I take a $1 bill and buy a 25 cent pack of gum.
Also, about a half weighing as much as two quarters, why not make the
half smaller, as I suggested, and as the government did with the $1
coin? A smaller, lighter, different designed half would likely be
favored among people who think change is "too heavy" I suggested a
half dollar coin in between the size of the nickel and quarter, even
though that gap is not vey big, therefore, in my "Famous Dogs" bill I
proposed, the new halves would be that size, copper colored, and
octogon shaped or such, to be distinguishible by feel, from other
coins.
Boy, you guys are making it sound like it would be hard to get JFK
replaced with Balto. Heh heh...
Jerry Dennis
> We need another Teddy Roosevelt to come along and make our
> coinage something our country can be proud of.
What we need is someone with the (insert crude term for testicles
here) to tell Congress to quit kissing everybody's politcally correct
asses and get down to making coins and currency with something other
than dead Presidents.
Jerry
Drago the Wolf
>
> Boy, you guys are making it sound like it would be hard to get JFK
> replaced with Balto. Heh heh...
Hey,
The Presidential $1 coin program, along with the mandated Native
American $1 coin program gives me an idea: Just mint JFK halves along
side the Famous Doggie halves. Now THERE is an idea that could work.
Only the JFK coins would be changed to the smaller size, same as the
doggie coins. *Devilish grin*
Bruce Remick
"Jerry Dennis" <JDen...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:fa871e65-4ba2-4a81...@z34g2000vbl.googlegroups.com...
Jerry
__________
There are a lot more pressing issues I'd like to see Congress tackle than
debating which new people or things should appear on our coins. They
already seem to consider our circulation and commemorative money like their
own personal playthings, literally and figuratively.
Bruce Remick
>
> As I do about twice a week, I paid for parking today with a pair of
> $2 bills. They're easier to stuff than 4 singles into the self-pay
> slot.
>
> On the other hand, I see very little advantage to carrying around
> half dollar coins. Two quarters weigh exactly the same amount, and
> even if vending machines took halves, I'd still be more likely to
> have exact change with the quarters. Similarly, I see no real
> advantage in stocking halves in a cash drawer.
>
Its good to see that some people are viewing $2s as "useful" but the
difference between $2s and halves is, two $2 bills can save you the
hassle of carrying four $1 bills, where with halves, they can only
save you from carrying two quarters, otherwise, you could carry three
quarters for 75 cents, which is only one more necessary quarter versus
two more quarters, and for four quarters, you just carry a $1 bill (or
$1 coin). Still, I'd rather carry a half and a quarter over three
quarters, should I take a $1 bill and buy a 25 cent pack of gum.
__________________
Do you really consider it a "hassle" to carry four one dollar bills, and
that this hassle could be relieved by carrying two two's? If a person is
carrying three quarters it's either because he expects to use them that day
or he just got them in change and they will disappear into a jar at the end
of the day. There's little danger of receiving a half dollar in change.
I'd prefer to hand over a $1 bill and get a quarter in change, like someone
posted most men seem inclined to do.
Bob F.
"Bruce Remick" <rem...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:WAI2m.8605$Bj5....@newsfe07.iad...
I haven't received a half in change (without asking for it) since the
60's when silver coins were still in circulation.
I prefer to use paper dollars over the coins.
The coins are too heavy to carry many around, although I do get a roll
of the latest Prez bux just for spending around town.
It takes me about 3 months to spend them all (just in time to get a roll
of the newest coins.)
I also like to use $2 bills and get 50 of them every month.
Judging from the looks I get when spending them, I must be the only
person in my area who does so.
Frank Galikanokus
"the presidential series doing well"???
I haven't seen even one in circulation.
George Washington was right. Once we started down the road of dead
politicians on our coins we were doomed to piss poor coin designs that
never change.
JAM
Frank Galikanokus
>
> Instead of arguing to keep Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Washington
> on their respective coins it might be politically more expedient to
> demand that they be *promoted* to the half dollar. Go to the Roosevelt
> supporters and suggest to them that Roosevelt deserves a coin as least
> as big and impressive as Kennedy's. Why should he be relegated to the
> tiny, insignificant dime, when he could be more properly honored on the
> half dollar.
Um, he's on the dime because of the March of Dimes campaign against
polio.
> When someone objects, start a campaign to say that they are
> "dishonoring" Roosevelt. Repeat the process for Lincoln, Jefferson, and
> Washington.
>
> If we could pull this off, then you would have multiple half dollars
> issued each year, but that's no worse than the multiple dollars and
> quarter dollars that we have now.
> Half dollars don't circulate much anyway, so the Mint would not need to
> make many each year.
>
> This would free up the cent, nickel, dime, and quarter for new designs.
> It would probably make it easier to kill off the cent, if desired, once
> Lincoln had been "promoted" to the half dollar.
>
> David Cornell
I dono, we have Washington and Jefferson on dollar coins now but that
didn't get them off the quarter or nickel.
JAM
Scratchmo
wrote:
No, you most likely won't find them in circulation anymore than you
see Sackies. But, they are doing well as a collectible. Dollar coins
will never do well until we do away with the paper version.
Mark Kness
> I prefer to use paper dollars over the coins.
> The coins are too heavy to carry many around
I don't have any interest in carrying halves around, even though the
design has always been one of my favorites, front and back.
I take the bus to work these days, and I need $1.50 in coins each day,
75 cents each way, and I don't bother to get any halves for this.
I stop by the bank to load up on quarters anyway, so getting some
halves would be zero extra trouble. But they aren't any lighter, so I
don't bother.
OTOH, if the bus fare went up to $1 I would certainly start using the
dollar coins, admittedly only for the bus.
My ideal is that we start using the $2 for a convenient small paper/
polymer note, and have the $1 as a coin only.
The cent can go, and so that change doesn't mean cash registers need
more slots. The half is pointless, so it could go to, but it doesn't
matter since it is never used.
Make the nickel out of aluminum so it is light and just feels low
value like it is, but the same size and general design as now, and
keep the dime and quarter as they are (not necessarily the design.)
Jerry Dennis
> "Jerry Dennis" <JDen1...@aol.com> wrote in message
Actually, I'd rather they spent their time fighting over things like
whose mug should go on the next series of coins. That way, they
wouldn't be able to screw up anything important.
Jerry