Suffrage Centennial Commem passes the Senate
Congress may be filling out the 2020 commemorative coin calendar with the Senate passing the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act (S. 1235). If passed by the House, the bill would require the U.S. Mint to issue a one dollar silver coin to commemorate women suffrage activists in 2020.
S. 1235: Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Since there were 48 states in the union, 36 represented the three-quarters necessary to ratify the amendment.
S. 1235 was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee.
According to the bill the design of the coin is supposed to “contain motifs that honor Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Carrie Chapman Catt, Harriet Tubman, Mary Church Terrell, Alice Paul, Lide Meriwether, Ida B. Wells, and other suffrage activists of the late 19th century and early 20th centuries.” That is a lot of people to try to fit on a 1½-inch coin.
As with almost every other commemorative coin bill, the silver dollar will have a $10 surcharge. The surcharge will go to the Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initiative.
This bill does not mention mintage limits. It is possible to become the most produced commemorative coin of the modern era.
Next, the bill is sent to the House of Representatives for their vote.
Season’s Greetings
Motto to be Moved on Dollar Coins
In the excitement of the extension of the 50 State Quarters Program to include the District of Columbia and the five territories, the omnibus bill also calls for the removal of the motto “IN G-D WE TRUST” from the edge to the front of both the Presidential Dollars and the updated Sacagawea Dollars (Native American $1 Coin Act). Section 623 of House Report 110-497 (H.R.2764) changes Title 31 of the US Code Section 5112(n)(2) (31 USC §5112(n)(2)) to alter the Presidential Dollars and 31 USC §5112(r)(2) for the updated Sac Dollars.
According to the bill, “The change required by the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall be put into effect by the Secretary of the Treasury as soon as is practicable after the date of enactment of this Act.” Considering the bill has yet to be signed (as of 12/21), it might be too late for the James Monroe dollars. However, there may be enough time to “fix” the John Quincy Adams dollars.
From what could be found, it appears that the measure was inserted by a Republican member (at this time rumored to be Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS)) upset over what was called “G-Dless dollars” caused by edge lettering errors. When the edge letter errors first occurred, the uninformed and easily aroused were told that the US Mint removed the motto from the coins on purpose. Conspiracy theorist, anti-government critics, and the religious right became enraged over a mistake. Since then, bills have been introduced in the House and Senate to move the motto to the obverse of the coin. None have had hearings in either house.
I do not like the reason why this was done. Religion is a matter for the clergy and not congress. ALL religions should be respected and not a matter of legislation. Religion is personal and should not be legislated. Yet some members of congress feel they have to proselytize as they legislate. Arrogant members of congress are forcing their religious convictions on the public through our money. I feel is a violation of the First Amendment: Congress shall make NO LAW respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. I know the courts do not agree with me, but I feel they are very wrong!
My feeling regarding the use of this motto on coins was best expressed by President Theodore Roosevelt:
This provision is buried in a large piece of legislation that is critical to the operations of the government. It was done in a manner that prevented discussion and debate by spineless politicians looking to curry favor with their ignorant constituents. Unfortunately, those of us who like the move for its numismatic design value will have to put up with congressional ineptitude.
Fifty Plus 6
Buried in the omnibus budget act that congress passed last Tuesday was a provision to extend the 50 State Quarters Program to include the District of Columbia and the territories of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Since 2000, District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced bills trying to include DC and the territories with the 50 State Quarters Program. For the 110th session, Del. Norton introduced H.R.392, which had passed the House and was sitting in the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. The bill has been sitting in committee with no action since last January.
Enter Rep. José Serrano (D-NY). Serrano is a native Puerto Rican representing the south Bronx and is chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services whose jurisdiction is the Department of the Treasury. This gave him the power to insert the measure into this bill which he announced with great fanfare.
According to this article at washingtonpost.com, advocates of DC home rule are in favor of this measure. Now it is time to see how the District handles the design and what they come up with. Considering the dysfunction of the DC government, this should be an interesting exercise.
Step Right Up And Get Your Presidential Dollars
Step right up and get your Presidential Dollars, here! If you act now, the US Mint will sell you dollars any way you can slice, dice, and package them.
Bags and rolls are so 2007. No, your Mint can do better… aside from a new US Mint branded album that can only hold two years worth of dollars so you can pay them every couple of years until the program runs out, the Mint has created all new collectibles just for you!
But the Mint does not stop there. Oh no… now you can get a new Dollar Set with uncirculated coins and an uncirculated American Silver Eagle. Isn’t this exciting, boys and girls?
But wait, there’s more! The Mint cannot let all those unused coins sit around. So it’s inventory reduction time and you can benefit from their situation. Rather than go to the bank and buy boring rolls, get your dollars on specially printed souvenir cards. That’s right… your US Mint has come up with a new set of collectibles offering souvenir set with only Philadelphia coins, or a set with only Denver coins, or a complete P&D set. What a bargain!!
I know what you are saying… you like those shiny proof coins. Nothing beats a beautiful shiny coin, right? Well, the US Mint has you covered. in addition to the standard proof set which is so last week, the Mint will sell you individual cards with proof coins from each of the first four presidents: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison.
But you ask, what about the ladies… we cannot leave out the ladies, right? OF COURSE NOT!!
Take an uncirculated coin of George and add a Martha bronze medal, and viola… an instant collectible! If George and Martha are not on your Christmas list, you can also buy the Adams family, Tommy Jefferson and the medal not of his wife (or Sally Hemmings), and you can say hello to Dolly and James Madison!
ACT NOW! Offers this good do not last long. Just contact the US Mint and order yours today!!
While my tone is tongue-in-cheek, the product list is not! It was announced last week. I admit to being somewhat of a US Mint fan when it comes to souvenir products. Since the quarters “craze” began, I have been buying many of the Mint souvenirs. I have collections of the First Day Covers, Mint Sets, Proof Sets, the Stamps and Quarters portfolios, but I think this is going way too far! I may consider the card with the dollar and the First Spouse Medal, but that’s all. The number of Presidential Dollar products is really over the edge!!
10th Anniversary Platinum Eagles
If you are looking for a real nice present, you may want to consider buying the 2007 10th Anniversary Platinum American Eagle set. The set consists of two half-ounce platinum proof coins. One is a regular style proof where the elements are frosted and the fields are mirrored. The other coin is what the US Mint is calling an “Enhanced Reverse Proof” because it is not an exact reverse proof—only parts of the elements are reversed to enhance the design. Both coins carry the “W” mint mark.
The Mint will produce no more than 30,000 sets and will restrict the sale of one coin per household for the first seven days of sale with a projected shipping date of December 31, 2007. The set sells for $1,949.95 for one ounce of platinum in a special box. Platinum closed at $1,475 (per ounce) on the New York spot market.
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