How the Worst President Ever Ended Up on a Controverisal New Coin (James Buchanan)

AOL News ^ | 8-19-2010 | Alex Eichler

[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?

[Non-Sequitur]

Methinks you don't understand Dixie. There's a strong belief in live and let live, or each to his own, in Dixie.

Methinks you underestimate the totalitarian leanings of many of your rebel compatriots.

A person's religion, or lack thereof, is personal and we don't butt our noses into anothers' personal matters.

As the kind Southern folks in Murfreesboro and Florence are showing.

Those who wish to assimilate into Southern society are welcomed. Those who seek not to assimilate, but instead seek to change Her culture, will meet firm resistance. Surely you recognize the chasm between freedom of religion and the mission of those who would seek to replace a society.

I recognize veiled threats of 'assimilate or else' when I see it.

Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21.

Let me expand your knowledge base then. Catholic version or Protestant? Protestant version or Jewish version? The three are not all identical as you know. Or now know, as the case may be. Which version will you bless with official government approval?

I believe it to be both cultural and ideological.

Heavy on the later.

[Non-Sequitur]

When that day arrives and you want admission into the more perfect Union, the "Conservative States of America", you'll be crying at the guards feet pleading for him to call one of us. I'll be waiting Non-Sequitur!

You will be waiting a long, long time. I have no love for police states and have no intention of going to your's.

[upcountry miss]

Thanks for the kind words. Been a downeast Maine yankee over 80 years, but some of my most enjoyable vacations were spent in the Blue Ridge area, the Florida panhandle and Grand Isle, La. Love this great country!!!!

[Idabilly]

Police State? We would expand firearms ownership, not restrict it. The reverse of your Government.

Furthermore, the power delegated would be spelled out more clearly. You want to talk Police State , do you? Your Government was given certain enumerated powers. One little list has turned into 50,000 - 60,000 federal laws, mandates, environmental agencies, etc, etc.

[Idabilly]

You deny Cleveland, but not the cheese lines. Good for you. Did Jimmy Carter build your home too ? Or..was that Brad Pitt's Foundation ?

BTW, we own property in two States.

[MikefromOhio]

You deny Cleveland, but not the cheese lines. Good for you. Did Jimmy Carter build your home too ? Or..was that Brad Pitt's Foundation ?

Why should I deny something so stupid? As for Carter (especially since I wasn't born until the very end of his one term), my guess is you probably voted for him too since he was also from the South.

BTW, we own property in two States.

Park and Rides don't count.

[MikefromOhio]

So what are you going to do with all of the leftists you’ll inherit by creating this stupid country of yours?

Throw them out?

[Non-Sequitur]

Police State? We would expand firearms ownership, not restrict it. The reverse of your Government.

Nonsense, you would replace one big government with another of your own choosing. On the one hand you criticize the current government for mandating behavior - have to wear seat belts, setting speed limits, etc. - and on the other you say that the government will mandate gun ownership. Slice it any way you want, it's the government taking something that is not really within their authority and saying you will do it or else. You will own a gun. You will support the Southron cause. You will hate Yankees. You will worship as we tell you, think as we tell you, vote as we tell you, or you will be kicked out. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

[Idabilly]

Nope...

No "throw" needed. Just a friendly prisoner exchange, if y'all would be so inclined. You'd get your leftist back, and we'd get our Conservatives back. You get the participants of the million mom march, and we get the pistol packin mama's. You get Louis Farrakhan, and we get Ward Connerly. Sounds fair to me...

[southernsunshine]

Methinks you underestimate the totalitarian leanings of many of your rebel compatriots.

Totalitarian? Nah, your inability to understand Southern culuture hinders your ability to grasp the nature of Her people.

As the kind Southern folks in Murfreesboro and Florence are showing.

Did you mean to include Temecula, CA?

I recognize veiled threats of 'assimilate or else' when I see it.

Veiled threat? Do you see the boogeyman everywhere?

Again, Those who wish to assimilate into Southern society are welcomed. Those who seek not to assimilate, but instead seek to change Her culture, will meet firm resistance. Surely you recognize the chasm between freedom of religion and the mission of those who would seek to replace a society.

Let me expand your knowledge base then. Catholic version or Protestant? Protestant version or Jewish version? The three are not all identical as you know. Or now know, as the case may be. Which version will you bless with official government approval?

Do you honestly believe only Protestant churches are to be found in Dixie? Being predominantly Protestant does not mean other religions are eliminated in the South. My King James Bible belonged to my grandmother and I am a Southern Baptist. However, I have attended Roman Catholic, varied Protestant denominational, non demoninational, and interdenominational services, as well as a Synagogue and a Buddhist temple. My personal preference for the version of The Ten Commandments is from Exodus 20:2-17 or Deuteronomy 5:6-21, but would not quibble over the Catholic or Jewish versions being displayed.

Returning to my original question: Can you please explain how we sound, what we believe, and how we think, act, and worship?

[Idabilly]

Yet, you support public ( federal ) education....that does that, and more.....

[Idabilly]

Yes... Non-Sequitur, firearm ownership would be mandatory. But, we'd provide the firearm. I figure, we could have firearms training between math & history about the 5th grade level.

I'm sure you'd rather have condoms given away. One problem with that, Non-Sequitur. The condom couldn't hit the hundred yard bullseye on their Sherman targets at recess..

[MikefromOhio]

So freedom of thought is banned in your police state.

And if anyone deviates from the group think, you’ll just “exchange” them too right?

Hilarious.

[Idabilly]

I understand, like many others of this forum. We are at war. Our love of firearms... and freedom, are much like your love for taxes, and food stamps.

Freedom of thought ? Yes of course, we're encourage all individual liberty. One way to this end, is mandating firearm ownership. There would be no permit needed to carry concealed. Basically Mike, shall no infringe will translate differently in our Country, than yours.

[Idabilly]

no = not

[MikefromOhio]

where have I said I love taxes or food stamps? Show me the post.

You're making crap up, again, and proving you have absolutely nothing to bring to the table.

And, just like your pipe dream of forming a new country from the chair in front of your computer, is full of FAIL.

You can't should not mandate something like firearm ownership much like you can't and should not mandate NOT owning firearms. You screech about personal liberty yet you continue to show you want YOUR KIND of personal liberty and to hell with anyone else.

so again, I am forced to post this image....

[MikefromOhio]

Yes... Non-Sequitur, firearm ownership would be mandatory. But, we'd provide the firearm. I figure, we could have firearms training between math & history about the 5th grade level.

I don't see how this is in any way a conservative principle. You advocate intrusive government for intrusive government. Way to go.

[Idabilly]

Don't need to, Mike. The definition of yankee, is socialist. Lets see, Big Government, high taxes, Holier Than Thou leftist swine, etc, etc. Add in the Lincoln monument, and you're as red as China...

[mac_truck]

Like Pavlov's dog, the reb heart reacts to mention of "worst president". Reb thinking operates at 180 degrees from realty. Nest equals worst, Slavery equals liberty and failure equals success. Lincoln is the worst president and Jefferson Davis is a great statesman. That is how our rebel friends think. We must continue to try to educate our rebs so as they might take full joy in the victory of Lincoln and freedom.

Several hundred thousand loyal Americans rallied in front of the Lincoln Memorial this weekend, more evidence that the neo-reb secessionist mindset is virtually nonexistant in the real world.

[mac_truck]

Add in the Lincoln monument, and you're as red as China...

Keep it up Ida, your days here are numbered.