Braille dollar celebrated
Arizona Coin Collector
http://www.nj.com/homegarden/design/index.ssf/2009/03/braille_dollar_celebrated.html
Braille dollar celebrated
by Joseph Bakes/For The Star-Ledger
Wednesday March 25, 2009, 2:42 PM
The Louis Braille commemorative silver dollar is available
today, and a New Jersey group is planning a celebration to
welcome it.
It is the first U.S. coin to include a message in Braille,
the system of writing for the blind invented by Frenchman
Louis Braille, who started working on it when he was just
12 years old. The coin marks the 200th anniversary of his
birth.
(IMAGE OF COIN)
http://blog.nj.com/hg_impact_style/2009/03/medium_BrailleProof.JPG
The Louis Braille commemorative dollar
coin includes the letters "BRL" in
Braille, the system of writing for
blind people.
The National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey and the
New Jersey Association to Promote the Use of Braille will
hold a Louis Braille commemorative coin celebration
Saturday from 11 A:m. to 1 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel,
36 Valley Road, Clark. The new coin will be on display,
and Louis Braille coin pins and candy coins will be
distributed.
There also will be a display of Braille items such as
slates and styluses, Braille writers, note-takers with
Braille display, games for the sighted and the blind,
and books. A proclamation signed by Governor Jon Corzine
will be read in Braille by members ranging in age from 7
to 84.
Congress authorized the U.S. Mint to direct a surcharge
on sales of the coins to the National Federation of the
Blind to further its programs to promote Braille literacy.
Mintage is limited to 400,000 coins, with both proof and
uncirculated versions available. The coins are 90 percent
silver. A set containing an uncirculated coin is expected
to be available later this year, with a limit of 25,000.
The introductory price for the proof dollar is $37.95
and for the uncirculated is $31.95. After April 27, the
prices jump to $41.95 and $33.95, respectively.
The obverse features a portrait of Louis Braille, designed
by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by mint sculptor-engraver
Phebe Hemphill. The Inscriptions are "Liberty," "In God
We Trust," "Louis Braille," "1809" and "2009." On the back
of the coin is a child reading a book in Braille. It was
designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Joseph Menna. It
includes the word "Braille" -- abbreviated "BRL" in
Braille code -- and he legends "Independence," on a
bookshelf behind the child, "United States of America,"
"One Dollar" and "E Pluribus Unum."
To order, go on the mint's website, usmint.gov, or
call (800) 872-6468.
The For Collectors column appears weekly in H&G,
alternating between stamps and coins. You may reach
Joseph Bakes at collecto...@yahoo.com .
..
PC
"Arizona Coin Collector" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:PeidnRJqo90hblfU...@earthlink.com...
> FROM:
> http://www.nj.com/homegarden/design/index.ssf/2009/03/braille_dollar_celebrated.html
>
> Braille dollar celebrated
>
> by Joseph Bakes/For The Star-Ledger
> Wednesday March 25, 2009, 2:42 PM
>
> The Louis Braille commemorative silver dollar is available
> today, and a New Jersey group is planning a celebration to
> welcome it.
>
> It is the first U.S. coin to include a message in Braille,
But that will ruin the coin's collectible value if someone reads it!
mazorj
"PC" <P...@Minneapolis.mn.us> wrote in message
news:gqg2p6$m04$1...@news.motzarella.org...
If I acquire any, I'll get one to add to my collection plus one to
crack out and play with in order to feel the Braille effect. It's the
only coin I can think of where it's justifiable to go smearing your
fingerprints all over it. The Mint actually encourages you to handle
it and feel the Braille lettering.
Dr. Richard L. Hall
"mazorj" <maz...@erols.com> wrote in message
news:wuMyl.46$426...@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
case also Then you coulld have experienced the Braille without damaging the
coin. And perhaps they should have included an informative insert in
Braille.
--
Richard
http://www.richlh.com
Don't lament that the rose bush has thorns. Rejoice that the thornbush has
roses.
[Ancient
Egyptian Saying]
mazorj
"Dr. Richard L. Hall" <richl...@richlh.com> wrote in message
news:gqgimj$dbn$1...@news.motzarella.org...
E-e-h, that's the numismatic equivalent to kissing your sister. For
many of us who got into coin collecting at an early age back when we
didn't know any better, the sensory appeal was an important factor.
Hefting those big silver dollars and halves, admiring the sheen of a
BU, marveling at the small size and heft of a half-dime or 3-cent
piece, and for a fortunate few, directly experiencing the denser feel
of gold - that plus filling the holes in your folders is what it was
all about. Although there are good reasons why directly handling
specimens is verboten today, it's nice to have a coin that's made
specifically to be held and caressed.
I'm not ever going to go handling Morgans and Franklins in my
collection. I do have a Peace Dollar that's so severely worn that
playing around with it can't add any significant damage. There's
nothing quite like casually flipping heads or tails with a big silver
cartwheel, or the crystal-clear ring it makes when set spinning on a
formica surface. So If I want to burn $31.95 for the Braille dollar
in the "easy open" capsule and handle it, I don't think the loss to
numismatics will be severe enough to worry about. I do agree with the
informative insert, though - and that could spell out his name in
Braille, too, for those who want to experience the Braille system but
don't want to take the coin out.
Johnny Doe
<nos...@nospam.com> wrote:
>FROM:
>http://www.nj.com/homegarden/design/index.ssf/2009/03/braille_dollar_celebrated.html
>
>Braille dollar celebrated
>
>by Joseph Bakes/For The Star-Ledger
>Wednesday March 25, 2009, 2:42 PM
>
>The Louis Braille commemorative silver dollar is available
>today, and a New Jersey group is planning a celebration to
>welcome it.
>
>It is the first U.S. coin to include a message in Braille,
I would hardly consider a 3-letter abbreviation to be a 'message'
Bob F
mazorj
"Bob F" <b...@march2009.invalid> wrote in message
news:gqiugh$osv$1...@news.motzarella.org...
LOL
Johnny Doe
wrote:
Ok, Mister Wisenheimer, I would hardly consider "BRL" to be a message.
Jud
Johnny Doe wrote:
> Ok, Mister Wisenheimer, I would hardly consider "BRL" to be a message.
If "BRB" means "Be Right Back", maybe...just maybe "BRL" means "Be
Real Late".
That was my decoded acronym...whats yours?
Jon Purkey
<nos...@nospam.com> wrote:
>FROM:
>http://www.nj.com/homegarden/design/index.ssf/2009/03/braille_dollar_celebrated.html
>
>Braille dollar celebrated
>
>by Joseph Bakes/For The Star-Ledger
>Wednesday March 25, 2009, 2:42 PM
>
>The Louis Braille commemorative silver dollar is available
>today, and a New Jersey group is planning a celebration to
>welcome it.
>
>It is the first U.S. coin to include a message in Braille,
What about the Alabama state quarter?
Arizona Coin Collector
"Jon Purkey" <room32...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:shvss454ktlk78tk8...@4ax.com...
Hello
The story on the orginal posting should have said the following!
"It is the first U.S. coin to include a readable Braille.
That is the remarks you will find on the U.S. Mint link
below.
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/commemoratives/index.cfm?action=2009LouisBraille
According to the link shown below, "The Alabama state quarter
is the first U.S. circulating coin to feature braille".
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/50sq_program/states/index.cfm?state=AL
Looking at my Alabama State Quarter, it has more
bumps than the silver coin. It has "Helen Keller"
name in braille. I counted 29 bumps on the state
quarter. They are very small to see on the quarter.
It is to small to be readable.
..
mazorj
"Arizona Coin Collector" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:y4GdncmQK6I7NVPU...@earthlink.com...
So are the Blind Boys of Alabama miffed that Keller got all the glory
with no mention of them?