Legally, what MUST appear on a coin?

dan1ecu

I suppose the words United States of America have to be there. I’m sure the date is required. Anything else? There have been U.S. coins without the denomination. The motto In God We Trust has not always been on coins. What do we commonly see on our coins that’s optional?

How about the flip side – what cannot appear on a coin? Is there any law against having a sitting U.S. president on a coin? How about a non-American? Are any metals/alloys forbidden to use? What if the mint wanted to make plastic coins?

These questions just popped into my mind as I was reading today’s posts.

Dan

Jamericon

The date, obviously, along with mottoes: such as USA, EPU, and IGWT. The denomination is required as is the eagle on all denominations greater than 25c inclusive. The only requirement for current designs is that they remain on the coins for 25 years, after which their redesign is at the discretion of the Sec of the Treas. Before 25 years they need congressional approval.

Jamericon

It is against the law to have living people on coins, except for Kennedy relatives. The question of alloys is up to debate and testing. The mint can change any alloy at any time, but only after extensive testing. This includes polymeric materials.

airplanenut

Jam,

The eagle must be on all coins 20c and over, not 25c...

BNE

Dan: you were reading the threads today, and THIS was the question that popped into you mind?

Just joshin'.

abuell

The coin's grade has to be embossed somewhere on the coin to avoid endless absurd grading arguments - or perhaps it's just to perpetrate such arguments.

Conder101

The law still states that

"Upon one side of all coins of the United States there shall be an impression emblematic of liberty, with an inscripton of the word Liberty, and upon the reverseside shall be the figure or representation of an eagle, with the inscriptions "United States of America" and E Pluribus Unum" and a designation of the value of the coin; but on the dimem 5 and 1 cent piece, the figure of the eagle shall be omitted. The motto In God We Trust shall be inscribed on all coins."

Later it states

"...coins shall be inscribed with the year of the coinage or issuance unless te Secretary of the Treasury, in order to prevent or alleviate a shortage of coins of any denomination, directs that coins of that denomination continue to be inscribed with the last preceeding year inscribed on coins of that denomination."

Jamericon is mistaken about it being illegal to have living people on the coinage. There is no such law. There is a law forbidding them from appearing on the "currency or obligations of the United States" but from reading the text of the laws it is clear that when they use the term currency they mean paper money. In the text of the laws when ever they refer to paper money they use the term currency and whenever they discuss coins they use the terms coins or coinage.

Outhaul

If the eagle is required on all but the cent, nickel, and dime, do the state quarters have special dispensation? Also, what about the bicentennial biz strikes?

Cheers,

Bob

WilliamGibbs

It is not against the law to portray living individuals on coins, only paper money. That arose from the mid-19th century, when the man in charge of the Treasury's new bureau responsible for printing paper money, Spencer M. Clark, had his portrait placed on one of the notes (the note reportedly was supposed to depict explorer William Clark). Congress stepped in and made it illegal to portray any living person on U.S. paper money, but did not extend the ban to coinage. For years, researchers and writers who believed the ban did encompass coinage had not studied the language of the law.

Also, the Mint has very limited authority to change the composition of U.S. coins. It may alter the percentages of zinc and copper in the cent (which is how we got the copper-plated zinc cent), and the Mint could produce gold American Eagles in a different fineness (.9999 fine, for example) to meet the demands of special markets. In both cases, Congress gave the Mint authority to make those changes without consulting Capitol Hill first. Otherwise, as dictated by the Constitution, Congress has authority to regulate coinage compositions, not the Mint. For example, the Mint could not have issued the Sacagawea dollar in its "golden" composition had Congress not granted it authority to make the change from the copper-nickel clad composition used for the Anthony dollar.

Title 31, Section 5112 (10)(d)(1) regulates the inscriptions that must appear on all U.S. coins. The ones on them now are required by this statute.

William T. Gibbs
News Editor
Coin World

kranky

<< <i>Otherwise, as dictated by the Constitution, Congress has authority to regulate coinage compositions, not the Mint. For example, the Mint could not have issued the Sacagawea dollar in its "golden" composition had Congress not granted it authority to make the change from the copper-nickel clad composition used for the Anthony dollar. >>



I wonder if the Mint ever explained why they believed the had the authority to make the twelve 22k gold Sacs that seem to have disappeared.

richbeat

Yes, coins such as the bicentennial coins and the state quarters have been exempted from requiring the eagle on the reverse, via an amendment to the law. Ever wonder why the eagle on the reverse of the Franklin half is so small? Originally the design did not include an eagle at all, then it was pointed out that an eagle was required, so an eagle was added to satisfy the requirement.

dorkkarl

<< <i>Legally, what MUST appear on a coin? >>

why, fingerprints, of course!

K S