Stamps & Coins: Will dollar coins make paper dollars obsolete?

Hello

On the story below.

I don't think the United States Treasury will stop printing
replacement one-dollar bills. In the history of congress,
it is very rare to have them go back and make a change
to a "public law" in regards to currency production.

I hope 2009 will be a much better year for everyone.

--------------------------------------------

FROM:
http://www.sacbee.com/livinghere/story/1512789.html

The Sacramento Bee

Stamps & Coins: Will dollar coins make paper dollars obsolete?

Published: Saturday, Jan. 03, 2009 | Page 7D

It may not happen in 2009, but it is inevitable. I'm
basing my prediction on a new golden dollar coin that
was released Friday from the U.S. Mint.

Identified as the Native American dollar, it features
an American Indian woman planting seeds of corn,
beans and squash in a field.On the front will be the
familiar design of Sacagawea, the Shoshone native who
assisted Lewis and Clark on their 1804 expedition.

My prediction isn't that we're going to be seeing more
American Indian images on coinage. That would be a
sucker bet. U.S. coins featuring Indians are a monetary
staple dating back as far as 1787, when Massachusetts
issued a cent and a half-cent coin showing an American
Indian. Of course, Indian-head pennies and countless
Indian-related gold coins issued during the late 1800s
and into the 20th century remain popular with collectors.

But consider this. The golden dollar being issued is
in addition to the four others slated to come out
honoring past presidents. Those will feature the
likenesses of William Henry Harrison, John Tyler,
James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor. None of those is
considered a "commemorative." They are meant for
general circulation - to be used and spent for
retail purchases.

Further, in the past, presidential golden dollars have
been available at some local banks or for purchase
directly from the mint, where you had to pay extra for
uncirculated rolls of the coins. That's changing for
the American Indian issue.

Starting this year, anyone can phone or e-mail the
mint and order quantities of the new dollar coin at
face value. The mint will even pay shipping and
handling charges on orders delivered by standard
shipping methods.

That's a major change over previously issued dollar
coin ordering policies.

So, what's my prediction?

In the not-too-distant future, we will see a profound
push for the use of dollar coins over paper dollars.
And, yes, this will include the elimination of the
paper dollar entirely. It's not so far-fetched.

Most other countries, including Canada and virtually
all of Europe, have entirely abandoned paper notes
in smaller denominations. There are no 1-euro paper
bills.

The Canadian paper dollar is long extinct - replaced
with a golden coin depicting a loon. Canadians at
first rebelled but quickly accepted the new coin,
going so far as to fondly name it the "Loonie."
Acceptance was so overwhelming that the Canadian
government created a $2 coin. Canadians refer to it
as the "Twoonie."

In a nutshell, I predict the campaign slogan of
President-elect Barack Obama regarding "change" may
be far more tangible insofar as our currency than
many might have believed. It may not happen in 2009
or even 2010.

But, during his tenure, I'll wager the paper dollar
will become a thing of the past.

--------------------------------------------------

Peter Rexford writes for Creators Syndicate.
Contact him at P.O. Box 50377, St. Louis, MO 63105.



...

On Jan 3, 9:35*am, "Arizona Coin Collector" wrote:
Hello

On the story below.

I don't think the United States Treasury will stop printing
replacement one-dollar bills. In the history of congress,
it is very rare to have them go back and make a change
to a "public law" in regards to currency production.

I hope 2009 will be a much better year for everyone.

--------------------------------------------

FROM:http://www.sacbee.com/livinghere/story/1512789.html

The Sacramento Bee

Stamps & Coins: Will dollar coins make paper dollars obsolete?

Published: Saturday, Jan. 03, 2009 | Page 7D

It may not happen in 2009, but it is inevitable. I'm
basing my prediction on a new golden dollar coin that
was released Friday from the U.S. Mint.

Identified as the Native American dollar, it features
an American Indian woman planting seeds of corn,
beans and squash in a field.On the front will be the
familiar design of Sacagawea, the Shoshone native who
assisted Lewis and Clark on their 1804 expedition.

My prediction isn't that we're going to be seeing more
American Indian images on coinage. That would be a
sucker bet. U.S. coins featuring Indians are a monetary
staple dating back as far as 1787, when Massachusetts
issued a cent and a half-cent coin showing an American
Indian. Of course, Indian-head pennies and countless
Indian-related gold coins issued during the late 1800s
and into the 20th century remain popular with collectors.

But consider this. The golden dollar being issued is
in addition to the four others slated to come out
honoring past presidents. Those will feature the
likenesses of William Henry Harrison, John Tyler,
James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor. None of those is
considered a "commemorative." They are meant for
general circulation - to be used and spent for
retail purchases.

Further, in the past, presidential golden dollars have
been available at some local banks or for purchase
directly from the mint, where you had to pay extra for
uncirculated rolls of the coins. That's changing for
the American Indian issue.

Starting this year, anyone can phone or e-mail the
mint and order quantities of the new dollar coin at
face value. The mint will even pay shipping and
handling charges on orders delivered by standard
shipping methods.

That's a major change over previously issued dollar
coin ordering policies.

So, what's my prediction?

In the not-too-distant future, we will see a profound
push for the use of dollar coins over paper dollars.
And, yes, this will include the elimination of the
paper dollar entirely. It's not so far-fetched.

Most other countries, including Canada and virtually
all of Europe, have entirely abandoned paper notes
in smaller denominations. There are no 1-euro paper
bills.

The Canadian paper dollar is long extinct - replaced
with a golden coin depicting a loon. Canadians at
first rebelled but quickly accepted the new coin,
going so far as to fondly name it the "Loonie."
Acceptance was so overwhelming that the Canadian
government created a $2 coin. Canadians refer to it
as the "Twoonie."

In a nutshell, I predict the campaign slogan of
President-elect Barack Obama regarding "change" may
be far more tangible insofar as our currency than
many might have believed. It may not happen in 2009
or even 2010.

But, during his tenure, I'll wager the paper dollar
will become a thing of the past.

--------------------------------------------------

Peter Rexford writes for Creators Syndicate.
Contact him at P.O. Box 50377, St. Louis, MO 63105.

..


I'm hoping that it is true about the paper dollar going bye-bye, but I
really hope if it does, that the U.S. gets serious about circulating
redesigned $2 bills, or creating and pushing new $2 coins.

Barack Obama might actually be interested in getting rid of paper $1
(and maybe $2) bills, seeing as, to print paper $1 bills, it is
costing taxpayer's money. And if its true about switching to $1 coins
saving billions of dollars, Barack might really give this "change for
change" (as in change for pocket change) some serious thought, and get
on Congress to start a bill to pass it into law, simply because he
wants tax cuts, for the poor and middle class people.

If I ever hear of Obama make a move on the $1 bill elimination issue,
I might just write a letter directly to him, suggesting getting new $2
bills or $2 coins into circulation, to help cut back on the needs of
$1 coins, and to help people acept the "change" a little better. I
really am starting to think that $2 coins are the way to go, but I'm
still going to send letters to the next Congress about new $2 bill
designs.