Yesterday, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee met at the US Mint Headquarters in Washington DC. During the meeting, CCAC member Donald Scarinci set up his laptop and tweeted from the meeting.

Based on Scarinci’s tweets, it was not a comfortable meeting. While reading the tweets, it seemed that there were some contention between the U.S. Mint and the members who blindly support whatever the Mint wants. Scarinci has indicated to me and in his commentary that appeared in Coin World that he was interested in performing the job intended by the law authorizing the CCAC.

Following the meeting, comments from other members indicated that Scarinci’s statements that appeared in Coin World editorial was the catalyst for the contentious feelings experienced at the meeting. One member indicated that there were more tactful ways to make comments about other members.

It is not apparent from the Coin World editorial what was objectionable in what Scarinci did or said. However, past experiences with CCAC Chairman Gary Marks may indicate that he takes commentary personally rather use it as a constructive lesson. If Marks and the U.S. Mint can realize that those who criticize are not against them but care enough to want to make things better there would be less of a strained relationship between the CCAC members and the public.

UPDATE: I am not condemning or condoning Scarinci’s comments. I am saying that on the surface it does not appear that what he said rises to the level of scorn that is being raised. Regardless of how you feel about his situation, I encourage Scarinci to continue to work in a manner that he feels is in the best interest of the CCAC, even if it means trampling on a few egos.

If you missed the meeting, the following are the compilation of the tweets from @Scarinci:

 

Scarinci On my way to DC for meetings later & CCAC meeting tomarow. Big agenda tomarow. Took a long time preparing.

Monday, May 24, 2010 2:09 PM
Scarinci Marine 1 just flew over me near the Potomac River in DC. I wonder if the President was on Board. You don’t see that in NJ.:)

Monday, May 24, 2010 4:20 PM
Scarinci Just read “Coin World” article with CFA’s comments on the commem designs CCAC reviews tomorrow. I’m not alone thinking they are unworthy.

Monday, May 24, 2010 6:54 PM
Scarinci If the Mint gave us good designs with only minor variations to pretend CFA & CCAC has imput, maybe I’d be OK being their rubber stamp. 🙂

Monday, May 24, 2010 7:04 PM
Scarinci Only 3 or 4 designs of each coin today–the Mint just engaging CCAC because they have to. Designs limited & most are variations of the same.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 6:39 AM
Scarinci Arrived at mint. Franklin Pierce dollars for sale in lobby. Arkansas quarters too.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 7:41 AM
Scarinci Administrative meeting just begun. It is of course not open to the public.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 8:08 AM
Scarinci Admin meeting adjourned–Why does the Mint like to do things in secret? Very little discussed that couldn’t have been public.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:01 AM
Scarinci Public just entered the room. Seems like a lot of people here for this meeting today.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:05 AM
Scarinci Set up my laptop for twitter today. It is a lot easier on my thumbs.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:07 AM
Scarinci Michael Ross, History Prof at U.Maryland being introduced (Historian seat on CCAC). teaches U.S.History and focuses on 19th Century.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:11 AM
Scarinci Starting discussion of designs of 2011 Army Commem Coin Program. Kaarina Budow reading narratives that were given to the artists.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:15 AM
Scarinci The gold reverse designs are three variations of the same thing. Guess that’s what the Mint wants. There is no choice.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:17 AM
Scarinci Obverse 2 & 3 show central soldier figure wearing the current uniform. We are told it is not specific to any current military action.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:22 AM
Scarinci Had a motion to narrow the discussion even though only 4 obverse designs being considered. No women depicted on any of them.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:26 AM
Scarinci The three reverse designs of the gold coin are all the same with only minor variations. Even more absurd to narrow the discussion on these.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:30 AM
Scarinci The gold is supposed to show revolutionary period to today. Ony 1 or 4 does that for me. But I don’t get the motto on 4.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:41 AM
Scarinci Some support for design 3 because it is focused and fits well on the small surface of the gold $5.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:47 AM
Scarinci Some members wanting to change wording on reverse & minor features of some obverses. Mint seldom listens to that. We get what we get.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9:56 AM
Scarinci Device on helmut on design 3 is for night vision and becomes the focus of the image. Some want to see eyes and people facing front .

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 10:03 AM
Scarinci Voting for the gold concluded. I made the point that we are just rubber stamping what the mint wants on the reverses–all the same.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 10:11 AM
Scarinci Kaarina reviewing narratives for the silver dollar size 2011 US Army Commemorative Coin Program.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 10:22 AM
Scarinci Some on CCAC are picking up on the fact that the faces depected on these designs look very much the same–diversity is lacking.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 10:31 AM
Scarinci You gotta love Roger Burdette. He just articulated my thoughts on the wording and the banality of what we are looking at today.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 10:36 AM
Scarinci No neo-renaissance except in Ed Moy’s speeches. At peace with that, obv.1 & rev.4 is just a nice coin. Lack of diversity & woman troubling

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 10:58 AM
Scarinci Moved on to talking about the clad half dollar of the three piece 2011 US Army Commemorative set.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:04 AM
Scarinci I spoke in favor of obv.1 or 2 paired with rev. 2 as a nice coin & made the comparrison to the rev. on the 1976 quarter. Same artist?

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:06 AM
Scarinci Good comment just made that the clad half obv. designs are very 1950’s “Atoms for Peace” remakes. There is little inspiration here.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:15 AM
Scarinci Member just suggested that the good designs have been edited out of the group the Mint chose to send to CCAC. YES!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:20 AM
Scarinci I just made a motion to reject all designs for the obv. & rev. of the clad half dollar. Roger Burdette seconded it. Motion failed.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:26 AM
Scarinci Rick just made a motion to reject all obverse designs of the clad half dollar. Mike Olson seconded it, withdrew his second so I seconded it.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:31 AM
Scarinci Good, spirited discussion. The motion passed with a 5-4 vote to reject all designs for the obverse of the clad half dollar.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:44 AM
Scarinci Discussion about adjourning and considering the 2011 Medal of Honor coins at our meeting in Colorado Springs. Mint staff objected.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:46 AM
Scarinci The CCAC did what the Mint wanted and is continuing the meeting. Lets just rush through it since there isn’t much to choose from anyway.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:51 AM
Scarinci We are rushing through the agenda and looking at the Gold and silver commemorative designs together. Kaarina is even speaking faster.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:56 AM
Scarinci One member just said they can’t even keep up with the pace of the meeting at this point. It is going in high speed.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:59 AM
Scarinci We are at it now since 8 AM with not even a bathroom break. Thank goodness they brought some food and sodas out.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:04 PM
Scarinci We are talking about two coins at once, obv.& rev.–I’m having trouble following the discussion. Thank goodness I spent a weekend preparing

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:08 PM
Scarinci We haven’t even tallied the votes from the Army Commemoratives. Worrying now about my train reservation.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:10 PM
Scarinci Roger and Mike have prepared very moving remarks about the medal of honor commems–truly a highlight of today’s meeting.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:16 PM
Scarinci I will not be rushed on my comments and I will not lend my name on a vote on such an important coin as the medal of honor coin.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:25 PM
Scarinci We got through this in about 1/2 hour. We are now taking a break finally to count the votes.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:28 PM
Scarinci The Mint staff just told us they are not rushing us. Unbelievable!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:30 PM
Scarinci I did not vote on the medal of honor coins because I refuse to be rushed. We just ran through it to comply with law requiring CCAC review.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:38 PM
Scarinci Mike making some motions asking the mint to change design aspects of what we voted for.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:39 PM
Scarinci CCAC just voted to make the woman on the Army Dollar, SO-O1, African American to make up for the lack of diversity on the designs presented.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:45 PM
Scarinci Meeting has been adjourned. I need to rush to make my train.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:47 PM
Scarinci VOTES for 2011 US Army Commems: Gold $5obv:#3=20;#2=18; rev:#3=28;#2=6; Silver $1obv #1=25;#5=10; rev:#3=19;#4=8: Clad$.50rev:#2=19;#3=14

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 2:21 PM
Scarinci VOTES for 2011 Medal of Honor Commems: Gold$5obv.#2=19; Rev.:#2=13; #1=11; Silver $1 Obv.:#2=24; Rev:#2=24. Two members did not vote.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 2:26 PM
Scarinci The private administrative meeting that followed was even worse than the public meeting if that is possible. Things are very bad (IMO).

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 2:28 PM

 

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