Posted on 08/21/2010 7:17:45 AM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
Today, the U.S. Treasury released a $1 coin commemorating former President James Buchanan. And people aren't happy about it.
To understand why, some background is helpful. In 2007, thanks to a bill promoted by then-Senator John Sununu of New Hampshire, the Treasury began minting $1 coins with the likenesses of former Presidents, starting with George Washington.
The coins -- which have been appearing ever since, featuring a new President every three months -- are meant to improve use and circulation of America's dollar coins, which are often seen as an awkward misfit among currency, neither fish nor fowl.
Sununu's initiative drew inspiration from the 50 State Quarters Program, which launched in 1999. The runaway success of that effort, according to his legislation, "shows that a design on a U.S. circulating coin that is regularly changed... radically increases demand for the coin, rapidly pulling it through the economy."
The bill also suggested that a program wherein Presidents are featured on a succession of $1 coins, and First Spouses commemorated on gold $10 coins, could help correct a state of affairs where "many people cannot name all of the Presidents, and fewer can name the spouses, nor can many people accurately place each President in the proper time period of American history."
So the bill passed, and the Washington dollar coin appeared not long after. It was followed by Adams, Jefferson, et al., with the First Spouse coins minted alongside.
Now we're up to Buchanan, the fifteenth President, who took office in 1857 and turned things over to Abraham Lincoln in 1861, and whose coin (produced at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints and purchasable through the U.S. Mint website) has occasioned the aforementioned grousing. Here's where some feel the coin program is falling short:
1. The coins aren't circulating.
Many Americans have never gotten into the habit of using $1 coins, and as a result, over a billion commemorative Presidential coins are sitting around in a stockpile at the Federal Reserve. As BBC News reports, if these coins were stacked up and laid on their side, they'd stretch for 1,367 miles, or the distance from Chicago to New Mexico.
2. They don't seem to be educating people, either.
In February 2008, a year after the first presidential coins were minted, The New York Times reported that a survey had found large numbers of American teens to be woefully ignorant of their country's history. It was far from the first time Americans had gotten a dismal grade in history, suggesting that Sununu's commemorative-coin campaign isn't having much of an effect in that arena, either.
3. James Buchanan was kind of a crappy president.
In fairness, this is a grievance with a specific president, not the presidential coins program as a whole. Still, it seems to come up in all the coverage of the new coin: Buchanan wasn't very good at his job.
That's the consensus of historians, anyway, who have traditionally censured Buchanan for his failure to prevent the Civil War. Last year, a C-SPAN survey of historians granted Buchanan the dubious distinction of worst president ever.
Still, all of this isn't reason enough to declare the commemorative-coins program a total failure. If more coin collectors start avidly pursuing the presidential coins, it could have the effect of pushing down the national debt, thanks to the way the value of the coins fluctuates with their availability. And if the dollar coins were to catch on and replace paper $1 bills entirely, it could save the country between $500 and $700 million each year in printing costs.
Plus, if things stay on track, 2012 will see the release of the Chester A. Arthur dollar coin -- marking the first time that long non-commemorated president's face has ever appeared on any nation's currency. And who are we to deprive him of that?
Then do something about it rather than bitch and blather on the internet endlessly.
Of course that would require you to get off your butt and actually do something, so I won’t get my hopes up anytime soon.
FWIW if you’ve never been to Spain it’s a lovely country and Andalusia is in a magnificent part of it. Granada, Seville, and Cordoba are all within close proximity and all are well worth a visit. You might want to extend your trip to include Catalonia - the southwest for the scenery and Barcelona for the food.
Sure you do. You said so yourself. The "Fortunately they told me they were going to vote for Bush," remember?
Huh? Would you consider serpent handling a funny religious idea?
Anyone who doesn't sound like you, believe like you, think and act like you, worship like you and hate like you would have no future in your Dixe rerun.
Can you please explain how we sound, what we believe, and how we think, act, and worship?
What people say and do can be different things, especially when it comes to voting. I just wanted to help them.
But hate it you do, along with the Declaration of Independence and anything else relating to the country. Your boy Innes did, you're toddling along in his footsteps.
A Constitution not followed is worse than having no Constitution at all, for this situation breeds contempt in the intelligent and a false sense of security in the uninitiated sentimentalist.
If true then you should be happy. It should remind you of the Jeff Davis days.
And no doubt your opinion is exactly the opposite.
And if those people wound up being stone liberals, would they be welcome in your new Dixie by you and your compatriots? What if they were Muslims? Homosexuals?
Huh? Would you consider serpent handling a funny religious idea?
I would, but I'm not a Southerner. But let me ask you this, in your restored Dixie would you advocate the posting of the 10 Commandments in all public buildings and/or schools?
Can you please explain how we sound, what we believe, and how we think, act, and worship?
I look people like Idabilly, Cowboyway, central_va, and mojitojoe among the active posters for that.
Just out of curiosity, Colonel, did you ever expect your simple, innocuous post about a presidential dollar coin would degenerate into another rebellion hate-fest?
Celebrated our 62nd last week. Went to Alaska on our 50th. People just don’t seem to make the committment today. Enjoying the thread. Just an old Yankee.
Not all southern men are gentlemen however, central_va has been nothing less than a gentleman in his interaction with me. His ability to extend respect to those not deserving (which is the comment I was referring to), indicates no small measure of his self respect. So, I wouldn't say my opinion is exactly the opposite. The words southern gentlemen aren't always synonymous with each other nor are they always contradictory. It depends on the individual.
I thought I was doing pretty good at 26. We’re freakin’ newlyweds compared do some around here.
I thought I was doing pretty good at 26. We’re freakin’ newlyweds compared do some around here.
Two posts to you in a single day.....I'd better pace myself! I wasn't aware we were ever anything other than FRiends.
I would, but I'm not a Southerner.
I'm a Southerner who finds serpent handling a rather odd practice, but I believe to each his own. It's their business, not mine.
But let me ask you this, in your restored Dixie would you advocate the posting of the 10 Commandments in all public buildings and/or schools?
Yes.
I look people like Idabilly, Cowboyway, central_va, and mojitojoe among the active posters for that.
I adore each of the FReepers you've named. Perhaps it's a cultural difference?
We celebrated our 30th in June. And here I was feeling like the newlyweds around here!
upcountrymiss - your comment reminds me of the love my parent's shared. My best to you both:)
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