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The Semiquincentennial Program for 2026
Casabrown
Posts: 2,126 ✭✭✭
The US Mint is planning to consider designs for the obverse and/or reverse of all circulating denominations for 2026. What do you think about this from the prospects of increasing the awareness of the general public and of increasing the interests of collectors? What designs in your mind best represent America's pride of its past, appreciation of the present, and embrace of hope for its future?
Casabrown
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When designs are published - usually preselection for comments - there will be considerable commentary here. When selected, there will be praise and complaints. When issued, there will be a scramble for high grade coins and some flipping. History repeats... Cheers, RickO
Absolutely Ricko.
Wash, rinse, repeat 🔁🙏
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
I certainly cannot dispute your comments. With challenges, past, present, or future, there are potential opportunities.
If we offer at this stage ideas for designs, there is a potential for them to be considered. Even if you are pessimistic (and I am again, not disputing your reasons for being so), like the lottery, you can't win it if you are not in it.
For this reason and because the 250th anniversary happens only once, why not take the shot of offering what you might believe is a memorable design for the obverse or reverse? Don't we owe it to our children, our grandchildren, and other generations to follow.
Remember what happened with the State Quarters program and this program is for all the circulating denominations. I guess despite my decades as a collector, I remain an optimist or a glass half-full guy.
Let's continue this thread with offering suggestions and I am committed to advance them for consideration.
Casabrown
Semiquincentennial?
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I'm in favor of it. It's actually something worth commemorating, as opposed to many recent themes which aren't.
I don't know about Increasing the interest of collectors. How?
Increasing public awareness in collecting? I doubt it. These coins will be buried in almost 30 years of continuous design change by 2026. It's not like the bicentennial coinage where there had been no changes since the Kennedy half.
I think they need to bring back old designs. Throw Gobrecht's designs back on the quarter, half, and dime and you'll get some attention. Put Longacre's Indian Head cent design back as well. Use the gold dollar with the obverse and reverse of the original gold dollar.
Young Numismatist, Coin Photographer.
Keep the comments coming.
For clarification, semiquincentennial is 250th anniversary.
There are at least two populations:
Again, keep the comments coming on the themes you think would be attractive and if possible specify why.
Many thanks
Casabrown
By the way, Happy Veterans Day.
Would an appreciation of our military be an important theme to include for the 250th anniversary?
Casabrown
ttt
No suggestions?
"Would an appreciation of our military be an important theme to include for the 250th anniversary?"
Something with Army, Navy, Air Force & Marines spelled out with a old cannon or cannon & sword fashioned after some of the Civil War Tokens might look nice on one the the denominations. It would need to be a simple, clean design and not try to fit too much on the coin. Some of the new designs like in the Statehood or Women's quarters get a little busy with too many design elements. The 2021 Quarter with the old obverse design in slightly higher relief appealed to many collectors. Some other higher relief designs would be nice if it doesn't cause striking problems for the mint.
Given our recent celebration of Veterans Day, your suggestions are relevant.
Many thanks
ttt
ttt
Look for whatever is politically correct at the time the decisions are made.
I would love to see Gasparro's Liberty design that was on the pattern small dollar in 1977 brought back for at least one of the coins. I was in grade school when the design was shown in the coin magazines of the day, and I still remember how disappointed I was when the much less attractive SBA was chosen instead.
Mintmarks, put more in circulation than just the P & D.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer, see my portfolio here: (http://www.donahuenumismatics.com/).
Here are my responses to the last three comments:
As much as it is understandable that very little of our society is without some political implications, let's place the focus on the most attractive designs recognizing the legacy of the nation's past, relevancy to the present, and representing the hope of the future.
Which denomination are you suggesting for the Gasparro Liberty design?
Please clarify comments about the mintmarks.
Thanks
Casabrown
Bill was introduced in both the house and senate. Has not moved from "introduced" since 2021. Read these bills to see the denominations, mintage and which metals.
https://congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4429/text
https://congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2384/text?r=44&s=1
Congress has passed the law and the President has signed the law. Thus, the next steps are to provide designs congruent with the law. This is the reason for this post as the law provides substantial latitude. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for collectors and the public
ttt
Again, I don’t think there’s a better option to celebrate the heritage of the country than bringing back old designs from the 1870s. It won’t require timely contests either for new designs.
Young Numismatist, Coin Photographer.
Bring back one design from each period
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Very interesting. Please also provide your comments to the US mint at www.usmint.gov or the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee at info@ccac.gov.
Let's keep the ideas coming.
....
Sorry @Swampboy after the semisesqu. coins the programs resume with sports played by youth. With no end date in the legislation.
I got through baseball, softball, stickball (NYC), Football, Soccer, and Basketball, then I started running out of ideas. Well - Madden, FIFA, Minecraft, Roblox, WoW, et al...
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
....
I don't know how Eliasberg can have a complete set of coins today.
@olympicsos it's easy - he goes to the bank and buys a box of each denomination and does CRH.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1923
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Kind of like what @FlyingAl was saying, I think that bringing back older designs would be cool. I just pictured a chain cent on a modern cent planchet - seems cool, but, like back in its day, it might not be received well. Maybe they could put the Fugio/Continental Currency designs on some coins.
I also liked @BStrauss3 's idea, with a coin from each time period. That's a nice way of showing the nation's progression.
Young Numismatist
I love the energy. Keep the comments/suggestions coming!
The seated Liberty and the flowing hair designs should be used. IMO. Peace Roy
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Quite interesting. Please also provide your comments to the US mint at www.usmint.gov or the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee at info@ccac.gov.
All I know is that these new designs, once released into circulation will just lead to us getting inundated with calls wondering if they're rare and asking if and/or when they will be worth a lot of money, like they do now about the American women quarters. Heck, I still get them regularly about the circulating Bicentennial crapola. So part of me dreads their release tbh.
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
I appreciate your concerns. However, perhaps your experience is based upon the role you have in our hobby. From my understanding, there are at least three (sometimes distinct and sometimes overlapping) perspectives. There are the investors, the dealers, and the collectors.
In the interest of full transparency, I am a collector of modern circulating and commemorative coins. In this regard, I enjoy talking with whomever is willing to listen about coins of the US. The American Women Quarters gave me another opportunity to do so. Yes, I do receive questions about value and quality...and I use these as another opportunity to inform (and sometimes educate) others about the processes for the decisions and the minting of circulating and commemorative coins. Another dividend is that it may result in persons improving their understanding of American history. While I am not naive to believe that the majority of Americans are well acquainted with the historical significance of circulating coins (as most may only view coins from their role in commerce), teaching opportunities, in my humble opinion, should be leveraged whenever they present themselves.
Thus, I believe that changing the designs of circulating coins in celebration of the 250th Anniversary of our nation's, will represent many more teachable moments beyond some of the self-serving queries that may come from some.
This is just my two cents. Please continue to share your thoughts about interesting designs you would like to see.
Casabrown
The only problem I can see is sec.3, where it says "may issue" instead of "shall issue". It gives permission but doesn't make it a requirement.
Perfect time for an all-new half-dollar design in 2026.
Worst case, if there are serious problems with the new design, dismiss it as a one-year commemorative -- and resume Kennedy production for 2027.
And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't clutter it with a committee's worth of design elements. Keep it simple.
Successful BST transactions with forum members thebigeng, SPalladino, Zoidmeister, coin22lover, coinsarefun, jwitten, CommemKing.
a $2.50 coin? I guess because of it being the semiquincentennial, 250 years?
very interesting comments.
ttt
ttt
How about a design with an American soldier in buckskin with an AR-15 hiding behind a tree plinking away at the British redcoats?
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Very interesting.
As a reminder, here is a copy of my first paragraph:
What do you think about this from the prospects of increasing the awareness of the general public and of increasing the interests of collectors? What designs in your mind best represent America's pride of its past, appreciation of the present, and embrace of hope for its future?
Let's think about what ideas of designs embrace the last sentence and who they might interest the public and collectors.
Best regards,
It's just a bill (coins in commemoration of the semiquincentennial anniversary of the establishment of the United States).
Not signed into law as of 12/17/2022. Still in the "Introduced" stage. See both trackers.
Bill does mention consultation on the design. One must Influence the mentioned groups for their design input, review by the CCAC, and final selection by the Secretary of the Treasury.
The America 250 website:
https://america250.org/
The members on the commission https://america250.org/about/leadership/commission/
I'm not sure what effect the convening of a new Congress has on existing bills, I just know that the Senate sponsor, Patrick Toomey, leaves office on January 3, just 17 days from now.
Folks,
This already the law of the land. Authorizing legislation passed and was signed into law in 2020: The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020/ Public Law 116-330.
Read section # 3:
SEC. 3. ISSUANCE OF REDESIGNED CIRCULATING COINS EMBLEMATIC
OF THE UNITED STATES SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL.
Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(y) REDESIGN AND ISSUANCE OF COINS EMBLEMATIC OF THE
UNITED STATES SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL.— ‘‘(1) REDESIGN BEGINNING IN 2026.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(i) Notwithstanding the 4th, 5th, and 6th sentences of subsection (d)(1), the Secretary may change
the design on any of the coins authorized under this
section and minted for issuance during the one-year
H. R. 1923—3
period beginning January 1, 2026, in celebration of
the United States semiquincentennial.
‘‘(ii) Notwithstanding the 2nd and 3rd sentences
of subsection (d)(1), the Secretary may place the
required inscriptions on either the obverse or reverse
sides of the coins authorized for redesign under this
subsection.
‘‘(B) QUARTER DOLLARS.—The Secretary may issue
quarter dollars in 2026 with up to five different designs
emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial. One
of the quarter dollar designs must be emblematic of a
woman’s or women’s contribution to the birth of the Nation
or the Declaration of Independence or any other monumental moments in American History.
‘‘(C) DOLLARS.—The Secretary may, in addition to the
coins produced under subsections (r) and (w), mint for
issuance during the one-year period beginning January
1, 2026, $1 dollar coins with designs emblematic of the
United States semiquincentennial.
‘‘(D) DESIGNS AFTER END OF THE PROGRAM.—Beginning
in 2027, any coin redesigned under this subsection shall
revert to the immediately previous designs, with the exception of the quarter dollar and the half dollar, which shall
bear designs in accordance with subsection (z).
‘‘(E) REDESIGN DEFINITION.—A redesign authorized
under this subsection shall not constitute a ‘change’ for
purposes of subsection (d)(2).
‘‘(2) SELECTION OF DESIGNS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each of the designs authorized
under this subsection shall be selected by the Secretary
after consultation with Commission of Fine Arts and review
by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
‘‘(B) DESIGN SELECTION PROCESS.—Designs shall be
developed and selected in accordance with the design selection process developed by the Secretary in consultation
with the United States Semiquincentennial Commission
and with recommendations from the general public.’’.
@DrDarryl is wrong, there was another bill that was signed into law in 2020.
@ernie11 - once Congress adjourns, everything is dead.
There is an argument that bills sent to the president before congress adjourns are still alive for 10 days, in fact, the 2020 coinage act was signed into law after the adjournment date.
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Correct and in my post very early today, I included the law, The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020/ Public Law 116-330. and its provisions.
So let's return to thinking about some interesting designs that celebrate America's pride of its past, appreciation of the present, and embrace of hope for its future.
Casabrown
ttt