Newly introduced legislation is calling for a series of collector dollars to commemorate American innovation.
Entitled the American Innovation $1 Coin Act, H.R. 6025 proposes a 14-year program of $1s with one issued for each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five United States territories of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
This latest program would follow the series of Presidential $1 Coins, which ends this year, and run concurrently with the program of Native American $1 Coins. Standard dollar coin compositions and inscriptions would be maintained.
The new coins would be issued at a rate of four per year, beginning in 2017 if economically feasible, and feature an obverse (heads side) that is symbolic of Liberty.
Reverses (tails side) would be emblematic of:
- A significant innovation,
- An innovator or pioneer, or
- A group of innovators or pioneers.
A provision prohibits the use of any portrait or bust of any person living or dead.
The Secretary of the Treasury would select the innovation, innovator or pioneer, or group of innovators or pioneers to be honored after consultation with the Governor or other chief executive of the state, the District of Columbia, or territory. The Secretary would also choose the eventual designs after consulting with the heads of the sites, the Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
American Innovation $1 coins would be released in alphabetic order of the state, the District or territory represented, starting with Alabama. Collector qualities include proof and uncirculated, with their quantities set by the Secretary.
Rep. Jim Himes [D-CT] introduced H.R. 6025 on Sept. 14. For the legislation to become law, it must pass in the House, Senate and get signed by the President. The bill awaits action in the House Committee on Financial Services.
Seriously?? We haven’t filled enough taxpayer funded warehouses with $1 coins yet??? INCREDIBLE!!!!
Totally a waste of money by the US Mint and the $ blank supplier(s) … (I’d guess they were the ones pushing for it …)
Please God, kill this idea. We need a generation off from coin series. Too much, too much, too much. Let it go.
Sock-puppet dollars! Boy-band dollars! Steamed vegetable medley dollars!
Why not? Makes about as much sense, I guess.
This legislation only has 5 co-sponsors in the House, & two are from Illinois which has a major coin blank planchet manufacturing company. Can we say “vested interest” boys & girls?!
-NumisDudeTX
I agree, kill this before it starts. When will they learn?
The “Onion” once suggested a county penny series, with the coins minted in the chronological order of each jurisdiction’s establishment. With 5 produced a year it would run for 615 years. Now that makes more sense than this foolishness. Seriously, let’s have something everybody would be happy to buy, like State Song dollars, or a Miss America series of quarters. Righttttt,,,,,,,
If the innovator of Top Ramen in on one of the first coins, I might buy one.
Joe C. –
Too funny man! LOL
Maybe the inventor of condoms too !
& those “As Seen on TV”™ silly products!
-NumisDudeTX
I like this ideal , if they can make the coin shinning forever and easy to see the different between quarter & dollar ,then everyone will likely to use it
Instead of clad make it at least 90% silver.
How about doing that with currency, maybe with a $20.00 Bill.
Another 14 year program? At least wait until the quarters are done and use them – at least they’ll get some circulation. Otherwise they’ll only be seen by collectors and hoarders or do they (legislative sponsors) even care?
Enough with the $1.00 collector coins. The Native American coin is a very good choice and it more than satisfies everyone’s desire for $1.00 collector coins for now. We don’t need another iteration of the $1.00 coin. This proposal would be OK if $1.00 coins were actually used in circulation, but they are not. The U.S. Mint might as well make Beanie Babies – same thing – a bunch of junk that sits in the closet and collects dust forever. With the exception of the few people that may actually collect them, nobody will either hear of them or know… Read more »
This is what we get when we keep sending the same idiots back to DC year after year.
We end up with a bunch of dolts out of touch with reality and no understanding of fiscal concepts. I have given up on all new mint products with the exception of the the Proof Silver Eagle. Everything else isn’t worth the metal it is minted on.
it is much more costly to transport these dollar coins than dollar bills. Granted, the private individual does not see this. But banks, and all other money-based businesses pass the costs on to the customer. Banks in these countries also do not like to take in dollar coins for this very reason.
One hundred dollars of these coins weighs almost 6 pounds.
It take 454 one dollar bills to equal one just pound.
Polymer notes are a PROVEN technology that would allow us to retain the lighter dollar bills and not be stuck with a pocket full of dollar coins.
Why not highlight what is great about America. This program could be very educational. What this article doesn’t make clear (but the legislation does) is that these coins would be for collectors only. They will not build up in warehouses nor cost the taxpayers any money. In fact, this type of coin program generates significant revenue for the U.S. government, which should make ALL taxpayers very happy. If you are going to make negative comments, you should first do your research. Read a U.S. Mint annual report!
Wow, I can not believe the mint would start down this road. Please please US Mint do not invest money in this program but RATHER up date your online ordering system and its capacity to meet the needs of 2016….. I think many of us suffer thru the Mint System and would like something for the Year 2016 and not the 1960’s Vacuum tube based computer system the Mint uses today. The next thing the mint will be coming out with will be Indian Beads and Wampum as the latest and Greatest. Boys and Girls of the US Mint, the… Read more »
The Mint got used to sucking off the collectors’ dough to generate income and they need to keep this going for as long as possible …. I would not be surprised if the Mint also kinda pushed for it … (sorta like the Mint Director’s closed door private meetings with the big boys only)
Mike Unser & CoinNews readers FYI –
Talk about “innovation” & $1 coins, the 2016-W Proof ASE $1 30th anniversary silver coin had first day sales of 262,816 coins from approximately 81,000 different people or companies. These will be as common as dirt. Beautiful, but unlimited mintage.
-NumisDudeTX
David,
With all your respect, we can read all that “educational” stuff you mention in a book…with a lot more details…not in $1 coins, sorry.
I feel for you all. As a proud Canadian and supporter of my RCM, it pains me to read about US products that are so far from what the consumer wants or needs. When numismatic coins are produced at a mintage at par or greater than bullion than I agree with Seth…they are as “common as dirt”. Don’t purchase, let the US mint learn what the consumer wants and needs. Don’t give them a cent for a half cent.
Anything for money.
I think the $1 coin would be a great choice for this kind of theme except for the fact that only collectors will ever see them and not the general population. The population at large WILL collect these coins and just like the penny (though not for the same reason) they will disappear from circulation and force minting more.
Before people judge me this is all in fun. Why not start a dollar program about cannabis? lol Over half the States in the U.S. have passed it’s use for medical purposes. Release the coins in the order in which the States passed the law for it’s use. Or have a coin series of cannabis with the different strains of cannabis like: Sour Diesel, Durban Poison, Kosher Kush, Tangerine Power, Blue Dream or Banana Kush. I mean why not? You would be surprise how many people are using and WHO is using. lol Like I said this is all in… Read more »
joea59
Not a bad idea, but I don’t think stoners are interested in collecting coins. Now if the coins could only be used to buy cannabis, you might be on to something.
I’ll collect any thing made by the US MINT made in at least 90% silver.
please……NO! I may not live long enough to complete the series for my grandson….
Sometimes you have to pick your fights. In this case I choose to let congress do what they want. I won’t be buying any of these dollars just like I’m not buying any of the liberty medals.