For this week’s update, here are some news shorts:
The White House announced that the president signed H.R. 4104, the Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act. The law creates a commemorative coin program in 2022 that includes a gold $5, silver dollar, and half-dollar coins in honor of the centennial of the Negro Leagues. Treasury will pay the surcharges to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
More stories keep appearing that say the current coin shortage is leading us toward a cashless society. All of the articles are the same. They claim that without circulating coins, more people “may” be relying on electronic payments. At the same time, they note that the U.S. Mint has increased production and the Federal Reserve reports that market indicators suggest that for non-online purchases, the public is spending cash at a higher rate than using credit cards.
I noticed a pattern when reviewing my notes. The latest article and many others with these conflicts were published by NPR or an NPR affiliate radio station. It seems as if NPR has an agenda.
The Royal Mint has released another 50 pence circulating commemorative coin for Christmas and is as popular as their previous issues. While U.S. collectors complain about new programs, the Brits embrace the new collectibles. The 50p coins have become so popular that it is becoming challenging to find 50p coins in circulation.
Finally, my End of World War II 75th Anniversary American Silver Eagle Proof Coin arrived this last week. Although the privy mark is not that exciting, they should have made the privy mark bigger. It’s still an American Silver Eagle. I love large silver coins!
And now the news…