You said that you want to see "my" proposals, and not other people's,
so, here goes. I rewrote the legislation, so that the half dollar stay
the same size, but just a redesign of what is stamped on the coins.
I'm sending this to NAMA, even is people do think its crazy. Oh, and I
don't care if the letters go into the "circular file" because, at
least, I can hear what they have to say, even if they just send a form
letter.
START
Section 1. Short Title
This Act may be cited as the "Famous Dogs Half Dollar Coin Act"
Sec 2. Design and Issuance of Half Dollar Coins, Featuring Famous Dogs
of U.S. History
(a) Notwithstanding the Authority of the Secretary of the Treasury
under the 8th undesignated paragraph of section 16 of the Federal
Reserve Act, beginning in 2011, coins in the denomination of 50 cents,
shall be redesigned, and have such designs, and shall be in such form
and tenor as the Secretary may select in accordance with this section.
(b) The "Famous Dogs Half Dollar Coin Act" shall be a 9 year program
that shall feature four new obverses of the half dollar coin, honoring
four different famous dogs per year, to honor dogs for serving man
kind for tens of thousands of years, and shall honor and feature such
fallen dogs as, fire, police, rescue, military and sled dogs who
served or lost their lives, serving man kind, with Balto being the
first to be honored. Each honored dog's name and breed, and the words
"In God We Trust" shall be stamped into the obverse of these new half
dollars, and shall border around the bottom of the "heads" of these
new coins.
(c) The reverse of the new half dollars shall feature three different
designs per every three years of the program. The Gray Wolf shall be
featured on the reverse of these new half dollars for the first three
years. The Coyote shall be featured on the reverse of these new half
dollars for second three years. And the North American Red Fox shall
be featured on the reverse of these half dollars for the last three
years. This will help us honor and respect both tame breed dogs and
the wild ancestors that these dogs came from. "Gray Wolf " shall be
stamped in the reverse design of the first three years, "Coyote" shall
be stamped on the reverse design of the second three years, and "North
American Red Fox" shall be stamped on the reverse design of the last
three years, and shall border around the bottom of "tails" of these
coins.
(d) These new half dollar coins shall not include or feature dogs,
that were famous for being in movies/shows/films, or for being a
famous celebrity or presidential pet. The "Famous Dogs Half Dollar
Coin Act" shall only honor dogs that were true life serving, life
saving, real life heroes, with the exception of the wild dog ancestors
of the dogs being featured on the reverse.
Sec 3. After the "Famous Dogs" half dollar program ends, the half
dollar coin shall revert back to the John F. Kennedy half dollar
design.
END
The reason I redid the legslation, was because, someone said that
changing the size and color of the half would result in the vending
industry not taking me seriously. And I did look at all sizes of our
current coins, and found that, there is really no good size to make
the half, other than the size it is, because, the half would be too
close to a nickel or quarter in size if they redesign it to be in
between them, same with between the penny and dime, or the penny and
the nickel, or the quarter and the dollar, so, I think that, athough a
bit bulky, the half should stay the size it is. (But maybe be made out
of a cheaper, lighter metal, to have less complaints about halves
being too heavy, however, I have not put any metal composition change
in my Famous Dogs legislation, nor do I plan to)
By the way, did that stupid "National Parks" quarter series
legislation pass?
Tom
Pretty impressive piece of "legislation". Hope you don't get scolded for
trying to take some staffer's job away. I wonder though how Congress would
feel about prematurely replacing JFK with dogs. You might have suggested
leaving JFK on the obverse with a series of commemorative dog reverses, like
we have done with the modified cents, nickels, and quarters. Who would
have dared propose replacing Washington on the quarter with guitars, cheese,
and Indy cars?
And yes, the Natonal Parks quarter proposal has apparently passed.
The Mint seems to have a problem striking high relief coin designs.
"Bob Golden" <Nob...@Nobodycares.com> wrote in message
news:nJwcl.75183$4M4....@newsfe02.iad...
The series could be, " Flat Chested Presidential Conquests", if striking in
high relief is a problem, it may be a very short series however. Billy