Other Country’s Coin Designs
2006 Canada 25-cents Pink Ribbon coin
The Royal Canadian Mint issued the 2004 Remembrance Day poppy 25-cents coin, the world’s first colorized circulating coin. The RCM produced 30 million coins featuring a red poppy on the reverse. The RCM expanded the program in 2008 for the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I with other collectibles.
In 2006, the RCM partnered with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to create a pink ribbon colorized coin. The pink ribbon is the symbol of hope and awareness for breast cancer. Talking about breast cancer also brings awareness to all cancers.
According to the National Cancer Institute, one-in-three people have been diagnosed with cancer or a direct relative diagnosed with cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and my family was reduced by someone who died of cancer, including my first wife.
2006 Breast Cancer Silver Coin with colored pink ribbon.
My story is also a reminder that you do not have to collect in the way others recommend. You do not have to fill blue, brown, or green books with coins or the lists produced by someone else, and you can collect based on the topics that mean something to you. Go out and enjoy your collection!
When will Congress ever learn
It’s back!
(Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions)
The idea was first conjured up in 2013 by conservative economists and pundits with some minor vocal support from some members of congress. It was brought up again in 2020 by a liberal freshman member who missed the earlier lessons about why it is a stupid idea.
Now Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has doubled down on the moronic by introducing S. 185, Cancel the Coin Act, to “remove the Treasury Secretary’s ability to mint coins of any value.”
Mike Lee was first elected to the Senate in 2011. He was in congress when the discussion of the $1 trillion coin began. Nearly every competent member of congress on both sides of the aisle dismissed the idea. They understood that issuing a $1 trillion coin will not work.
Lee did not learn the lesson.
Lee introduced the Cancel the Coin Act as a partisan measure because he is suddenly worried about a federal deficit. Even though the deficit was projected to be $1.083 trillion before the pandemic on a budget he voted for, Lee becomes concerned because a different party is in the White House.
The last time the government tried to curb deficit spending and manipulate coinage, Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon was on his way to being impeached. President Herbert Hoover appointed Mellon as Ambassador to the Court of St. James to get him out of town.
With the worldwide economy crashing, gold was becoming the primary means of international trade. Gold exports were happening faster than could be managed. To stop the hemorrhaging of money, congress passed the Emergency Banking Act on March 9, 1933, with bipartisan support. The act allowed the government to close the banks to allow the system to be recapitalized. It would be the last bank holiday of the Great Depression.
Om May 1, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102 to recall gold held by the public except for some coins and jewelry. The gold would go to replenishing the country’s gold reserves. The Gold Reserve Act of 1934 codified the Executive Order.
From this point, we can pick up the story of the 1933 Saint Gaudens Double Eagles.
President Gerald Ford reversed Roosevelt’s Executive Order the same day that the law that reverse the Gold Reserve Act was signed: December 31, 1974.
While the story of the 1933 Double Eagles makes for an intriguing drama, the lesson of unintended consequences should be a concern over making political statements the way Sen. Lee is doing.
Numismatic Legislation Review for the 116th Congress
Since the 117th Congress just convened and other work has taken their time, there have been no numismatic-related bills introduced. So let’s take the time to review the numismatic-related legislation from the 116th Congress.
Political analysts describe the 116th Congress as frantic and chaotic. When looking at the numismatic-related legislation, this congress was very active. Since tracking numismatic-related bills for the last five congressional sessions, the 116th Congress introduced more numismatic-related legislation than previous sessions.
Representatives introduced two unique bills, one of which resulted in a law with wide-ranging changes. The Route 66 Centennial Commission Act would have created a commission to honor the centennial of the famed Route 66. The law allowed the commission to recommend commemorative coin programs that would have likely led to fundraising efforts for the route’s preservation. The Route 66 Centennial Commission Act (H.R. 66) passed in the House but died in the Senate.
The United States Semiquincentennial Quarter Series Act would have created a quarters series to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Along with several others, this bill was combined into the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (Public Law No. 116-330). What sets this law apart is that it creates changing circulation coin designs for the next ten years.
Numismatic Laws
The following were passed by Congress and signed by the President. Some of these laws have lead to new commemorative issues by the U.S. Mint, like the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act.
- S. 239: Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019
Sponsor: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Summary: (Sec. 3) This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 350,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher tragically killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. (Sec. 4) The design of the coins shall bear an image and the name of Christa McAuliffe on the obverse side and a design on the reverse side that depicts the legacy of McAuliffe as a teacher. (Sec. 5) Treasury may issue the coins from January 1-December 31, 2020. (Sec. 7) All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of the coins shall be paid to the FIRST robotics program for the purpose of engaging and inspiring young people, through mentor-based programs, to become leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
LAST ACTION: Signed by the President and became Public Law No: 116-65. — Oct 9, 2019
- H.R. 2423: Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
Sponsor: Rep. Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY)
Summary: (Sec. 3) This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 400,000 $1 silver coins that are emblematic of the women who played a vital role in rallying support for the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. (Sec. 5) Such coins may be issued during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on December 31, 2020. (Sec. 7) All surcharges received from the sales of such coins shall be paid to the American Women’s History Initiative of the Smithsonian Institution.
LAST ACTION: Signed by the President and became Public Law No: 116-71. — Nov 25, 2019
- H.R. 1865: Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020
Sponsor: Rep. William J. Pascrell (D-NJ)
Summary: The National Law Enforcement Museum Commemorative Coin Act is buried in this law.
LAST ACTION: Signed by the President and became Public Law No: 116-94. — Dec 20, 2019
- S. 457: President George H.W. Bush and First Spouse Barbara Bush Coin Act
Sponsor: Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
Summary: President George H. W. Bush and First Spouse Barbara Bush Coin Act This bill requires the issuance of- $1 coins bearing the image of President George H.W. Bush for a one-year period beginning on January 1, 2020, and
- bullion coins bearing the image of First Spouse Barbara Bush during that same period.
LAST ACTION: Signed by the President and became Public Law No: 116-112. — Jan 27, 2020
- H.R. 4104: Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
Sponsor: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
Summary: This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 400,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Negro National League, a professional baseball league that was formed in response to African-American players being banned from baseball’s major leagues. The design of the coins shall be emblematic of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and its mission to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion. Only during a one-year period beginning on January 1, 2022, may Treasury issue coins minted under this bill. All surcharges from sales of these coins shall be paid to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to fund educational and outreach programs and exhibits. Treasury shall develop and execute a marketing, advertising, promotional, and educational program to promote the collecting of these coins.
LAST ACTION: Signed by the President and became Public Law No: 116-209. — Dec 4, 2020
- H.R. 1830: National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act
Sponsor: Rep. Sean P. Maloney (D-NY)
Summary: This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. The bill limits the issuance of such coins to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2022. The bill prescribes surcharges for coin sales, which shall be paid to the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, Inc., to support the mission of such organization, including capital improvements to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor facilities.
LAST ACTION: Signed by the President and became Public Law No: 116-247. — Dec 22, 2020
- H.R. 6192: 1921 Silver Dollar Coin Anniversary Act
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY)
Summary: (Sec. 3) The Department of the Treasury shall mint and issue $1 coins in recognition of the 100th anniversary of completion of coinage of the Morgan dollar and the 100th anniversary of commencement of coinage of the Peace dollar. (Sec. 5) Treasury may issue such coins beginning on January 1, 2021. (Sec.6) Treasury must sell such coins at a price equal to the sum of their face value and the cost of designing and issuing the coins and may make bulk sales of the coins issued at a reasonable discount.
LAST ACTION: Signed by the President and became Public Law No: 116-286. — Jan 5, 2021
- H.R. 1923: Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020
Sponsor: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Summary: Women’s History and Nineteenth Amendment Centennial Quarter Dollar Coin Program Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue quarter-dollar coins in commemoration of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote. The design on the reverse of each coin shall be emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of a prominent woman who was a resident of a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory. Such coins shall be issued in alphabetical order of the area represented, starting with the state of Alabama. Treasury shall- initiate a program to promote collection of the coins and recognition of their subjects, and
- strike and make available for sale silver bullion coins that are the exact duplicates of the coins.
LAST ACTION: Signed by the President and became Public Law No: 116-330. — Jan 13, 2021
A previous post described the full impact of Public Law No. 116-330.
Passed by the House
The following bills were passed by the House of Representatives but died in committee in the Senate.
- H.R. 66: Route 66 Centennial Commission Act
Sponsor: Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL)
Summary: This bill establishes the Route 66 Centennial Commission to honor Route 66 on the occasion of its centennial anniversary. The Department of Transportation shall prepare a plan on the preservation needs of Route 66.
Passed the House of Representatives — Feb 6, 2019
LAST ACTION: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. — Feb 7, 2019
- H.R. 7995: Coin Metal Modification Authorization and Cost Savings Act of 2020
Sponsor: Rep. Mark E. Amodei (R-NV)
Summary: This bill authorizes the United States Mint to modify the metallic composition of circulating coins (including by prescribing reasonable manufacturing tolerances with respect to those coins) if a study and analysis conducted by the Mint indicates that the modification will- reduce costs incurred by the taxpayers;
- be seamless, which shall be determined by verifying that the coins will work interchangeably in most coin acceptors using electromagnetic signature technology; and
- have as minimal an adverse impact as possible on the public and stakeholders.
The Mint must notify Congress before making the modification and provide a justification for the modification.
Passed the House of Representatives with amendments — Dec 2, 2020
LAST ACTION: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. — Dec 3, 2020
Passed by the Senate
The following bill was passed by the Senate but died in committee in the House of Representatives.
- S. 1235: Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
Sponsor: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Summary: (Sec. 3) This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 400,000 $1 silver coins that are emblematic of the women who played a vital role in rallying support for the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. (Sec. 5) Such coins may be issued during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on December 31, 2020. (Sec. 7) All surcharges received from the sales of such coins shall be paid to the American Women’s History Initiative of the Smithsonian Institution.
Passed the Senate with amendments — Jun 4, 2019
LAST ACTION: Held at the desk. — Jun 5, 2019
It is common for members in both chambers to submit the same bills on both sides of the capitol. These bills are usually non-controversial and increase the chances of passage. The version of the bill that gets passed depends on politics and timing. S. 1235 was superseded by H.R. 2423 that became Public Law No. 116-71.
Died In Committee
The following bills were introduced but were never acted upon. They are called bills that died in committee. If a member wants the 117th Congress to consider their bill, they are required to submit it again.
- H.R. 61: Carson City Mint 150th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act of 2019
- H.R. 500: Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019
- H.R. 636: Muhammad Ali Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 1089: Monetary Metals Tax Neutrality Act of 2019
- H.R. 1173: President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush Dollar Coin Act
- H.R. 1257: United States Coast Guard Commemorative Coin Act of 2019
- H.R. 1805: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 1982: National Women’s Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 2558: To define the dollar as a fixed weight of gold.
- H.R. 2559: Gold Reserve Transparency Act of 2019
- H.R. 2630: Cash Always Should be Honored Act
- H.R. 2650: Payment Choice Act of 2019
- H.R. 3155: 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 3483: Integration of Baseball Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 3757: 1921 Silver Dollar Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 4332: Paul Laurence Dunbar Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 4681: National World War II Memorial Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 4940: Texas Ranger Division’s 200th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 5537: Conan Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 5873: Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 6555: United States Semiquincentennial Quarter Series Act
- H.R. 6923: Coronavirus Front-Line Responders Commemorative Coin Act
- H.R. 8242: National Women’s Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act of 2020
- S. 509: United States Coast Guard Commemorative Coin Act of 2019
- S. 639: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
- S. 1300: National Law Enforcement Museum Commemorative Coin Act
- S. 1794: CENTS Act
- S. 1954: Integration of Baseball Commemorative Coin Act
- S. 2042: National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act
- S. 2427: Women’s History and Nineteenth Amendment Centennial Quarter Dollar Coin Program Act
- S. 2815: National Purple Heart Honor Mission Commemorative Coin Act
- S. 4006: Coin Metal Modification Authorization and Cost Savings Act of 2020
- S. 4326: 1921 Silver Dollar Coin Anniversary Act
- S. 4663: Coin Metal Modification Authorization and Cost Savings Act of 2020
- S. 4730: Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020
Weekly World Numismatic News for January 31, 2021
This past week’s numismatic-related news is a lesson about how the industry has not adapted to the new environment.
First, Whitman issues a statement with a headline saying, “Baltimore Expo Prohibited Due to Mandated COVID-19 Restrictions.” Their release rightly mentions that Maryland is using the Convention Center to help fight the pandemic in Baltimore. As the largest indoor location in the city, it would be right to assume that the Baltimore Convention Center might be busy for some time.
Whitman then announces a “MEGA Bourse” for the June Expo. Unfortunately, the Atlanta-based Whitman does not consider the factual data of the progress and what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also located in Atlanta, says about the pandemic’s future. The pandemic will be a significant issue in June, just as it will be in August outside of Chicago. It would have been better for Whitman to say that they will monitor the situation and make an announcement when appropriate.
Collectors who have attended several smaller shows report that the dealers or the participants are not following COVID-19 protections. One person in Texas reported that “about half” of the dealers were not wearing masks. Although the infection and death levels have plateaued, the United States reached 26 million reported cases, and U.S deaths from COVID-19 topped 441,000, including my father. The number of cases and deaths tops every other country in the world.
I understand that there is pandemic fatigue. We want to go back to some semblance of a life. We collectors want to go to shows, have club meetings, and do more collecting. I know because I want that! But the more we screw around and do not take this seriously. More people will get sick and die.
Even with considering the administration’s goal of 100 million vaccines in 100 days, it will take another 180 days to get enough people vaccinated to reach herd immunity levels. Assuming that nothing goes wrong, it is a total of NINE months.
Based on the information provided, it means we can start to return to normalcy by September or October. It also assumes everyone cooperates.
COOPERATE! Damn it! I want to go to a coin show!
And now the news…
January 23, 2021
→ Read more at examinerlive.co.uk
January 28, 2021 → Read more at collectspace.com
January 30, 2021 → Read more at nydailynews.com
Remembering the Challenger
The U.S. Mint announced the launch of a “pre-order system and begin accepting pre-orders for its 2021 commemorative coin programs.” Sales begin today. In addition to the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum Commemorative Coins, the U.S. Mint will begin selling the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Silver Dollar.
NASA selected Christa McAuliffe to be the first member of the Teacher in Space Program. The space agency would train teachers to travel to space and hold lessons from the space shuttle. Unfortunately, 73 seconds into the flight, the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated, killing all seven members aboard.
The pre-order price of the silver dollar is $69.00. The price includes a $10 surcharge paid to the FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics program to promote leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The STS-51L crewmembers are: in the back row from left to right: Mission Specialist, Ellison S. Onizuka, Teacher in Space Participant Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist, Greg Jarvis and Mission Specialist, Judy Resnik. In the front row from left to right: Pilot Mike Smith, Commander, Dick Scobee and Mission Specialist, Ron McNair.
Currency Changes Coming Soon
During a White House press briefing, the press secretary announced the “Treasury Department is taking steps to resume efforts to put Harriet Tubman on the front of the new $20 notes.”
Creating the new $20 Federal Reserve Notes with a portrait of the abolitionist began in 2016 to have Tubman appear on the $20 note by 2020, the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Although the Bureau of Engraving and Printing continued to work on the project, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin eventually announced that a future administration would decide if having her portrait was appropriate. Mnuchin targeted 2030 as the earliest a new $20 note would appear.
Sources report that Mnuchin delayed the stoppage of the process as long as possible. He knew that the president did not support this change. After the announcement, sources report that the work continued without permission.
Although the source did not know the engraving status, it is speculated that the intaglio printing plates for the new $20 notes may be ready before the end of the year.
When the plates are ready, they will include the signature of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. The Senate approved Yellen’s appointment on an 84-15 vote. She will be the 78th Treasury Secretary and the first woman in that role in the department’s 232-year history.
Previously, Yellen was the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under Clinton, President of the Federal Reserve of San Francisco, and served on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors before being appointed the Board’s chair 2014.
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