Looks like Nickle will get a face change..

DirtroadRider

The Nickle is in for a little change. The mint release this statement.

"The mint will be allowed to place new images honoring the Louisiana Purchase -- which celebrates its 200th anniversary Dec. 20 -- and the 1804-06 Lewis and Clark expedition, on separate designs of the nickel. But, the House bill also says Monticello will return to its customary spot on the back of the coin in 2006"

Striker

It makes you wonder why is Virginia so obsessed with having Monticello on the nickel. Does the nickel generate that much tourism for them that they're afraid to take Monticello off?

paigowjohnny

I don't know why we're so obsessed with the Lewis and Clark exp/Louisiana Purchase...geez we have the Sacagacrappa...

LucyBop

paigowjohnny

WHAT'D I DO NOW ??? I DIDN'T BASH FRANKIES OR TORCHIES !!! Don't tell me you're a Sac lover....

LucyBop

Thats the Johnny I know and Love......

nwcs

I don't think it's so much enthusiasm for lewis and clark as it is finally getting a design change on a coin that has been basically the same since 1938. I wish they'd go to a design like the shield nickel afterwards. I think that was the best 5 cent coin design. And I can't wait to see lincoln go away. But in this day and age, with so much politics going on, we'll probably never see good looking coinage on regular circulating issues again.

keets

hey johnny

if you have trouble understanding a coin which comemmerates the Lewis and Clark exp/Louisiana Purchase, perhaps you would consider reading the edited text of the journals of the expedition and some historical significance of the purchase. in it's full scope, the exploration of the Louisiana Territory stands as one of the greatest single human explorations ever undertaken. coupled with the fact that the acquired land mass more than doubled the size of America and ensured the eventual end of British and French involvement in the bid for control of the continent, comemmeration becomes a bit less cloudy.


al h.

ksteelheader

The new nickle obverse................................Ken
....................................

MadMonk

Also, in Early American History, Virginia was very powerful. They thought they were better than others (from the part of england that they came from), and did a lot to try and stay very influential in the new govt affairs.
It's still kind of enmeshed in the psyche of a lot of the people/govt. there, to this day.

Schmitz7

So are these Virginians alot like the French??

ms70

I wrote my senators about this urging them to vote against the senate bill. Suddenly because of some bureaucrats the laws regarding coinage design are going to be thrown out the window & politicians with special interests will "hijack" coin designs. I can't believe collectors aren't more proactive in standing up against Virginia politicians that believe they own our nation's coinage. It would be great if we could somehow mess with the mint by making an effort to not use any new nickels, thus causing an expensive & embarassing surplus.

paigowjohnny

keets...point taken...but aren't we going down the road to a L&C modern commem coin as well as already having a Sac dollar that obliquely commemorates the expedition. I guess I'd just rather have another subject....

Cam40

I guess I'd just rather have another subject....

Ok.Try this one.


The design for the Tricentenial Commemorative?

hehe

keets

hey johnny

i don't think the sac dollar was intended to comemmerate the expedition, my opinion of course. it seems it was meant more to assuage special interests by placing a woman and a native american on a circulating coin, killing 2 birds with one stone in the process.

that's it's link for me to the Jefferson nickel debacle, tilting nipple to a special interest. i feel, and i'm a Jefferson nickel enthusiast, that it's time for a complete change of that coins design, not tinkering with one side or the other. place an image of liberty on the obverse and a symbol of unity on the reverse!!! sheesh. why do they need commitees to figure out these no brainers. our coins need to stop being a source of pride for any particular group within the country and begin anew to project a symbol of power and unity to those outside of the country.

oh yeah, while we're at it maybe we can strike a circulating major coin with the arrows in the eagles right foot!!! OK, OK. i'll settle down.

al h.

originalisbest

It is too bad that special interests seem to dominate and hold our current coinage to the point of mediocrity. Seems more and more as though it would take the president, willing to run roughshod over some hurt feelings, etc., to push for truly fresh designs - a la Teddy Roosevelt. Currently though I would think other matters are more pressing.

Anyway, though it does satisfy a number of possible PC complaints, I really do think the Sac dollar is a beautiful design. It's a shame that its metallic composition refuses to let it stay pretty for very long in circulation (what circulation?). But a set of uncs and proofs really is something admirable, to my eyes.

richbeat

Will this new nickel be coming out in 2003 or 2004? And is this the reason why the mint is issuing state quarter only proof sets for now, rather than the full proof set?

hjohn74

Does the ANA have a legislative affairs office? That would be the best place to start a grassroots campaign for change in US coinage. I guess I should join and find out. Also, cccaconline.org has some very interesting legislative updates.CCCACOnline.org

Draco

We need changes, changes, changes !!

I really like the SAC, but the metal composition needs to be changed.

The Kennedy half needs to go away. We need a half that we can actually use and one thats not larger than the SAC.

For that matter, why has the nickle remained larger than a dime for so long?

It too bad political forces would never allow such sweeping changes to take place.

cladking

This will be a big boost to the Jefferson nickel as a collectible and another
opportunity to encourage collecting among the young and the general pop-
ulation.

keets

hey draco

i can't say with any certainty, just my instinctive suspicion, but the sac dollar composition probably has something to do with special interests. kinda like the morgan which wasn't wanted or used by the general population but served the silver lobby quite well. as for the 5-cent coin being larger than a dime, same thing. it was started to placate the nickel lobby and since a coin's value originally represented it's metal content value, it had to be a certain size/weight. ironically, the ol' nickel is the only circulating U.S. coin who's metal value approaches it's face value. when it starts to be a money loser for the mint they'll change that!! therein lies the resistance for eliminating the dollar coin and the desire to have it circulate, as lame as that may be. it's a money maker. they crank it out for about .15-.20 and sell it for a dollar. they'll keep up that till the cows come home!!!!

al h.

Draco

What I had in mind was the new half becomming the size of the current SAC. I've read that the size was based on the SBA because of vending machines, but I don't see the big deal in these vending machine owners changing the value of that size to $0.50. The new SAC could then be made a bit bigger than that. Wouldn't it be nice to have a usable $1 and $0.50 cent coin? Instead of feeding four quarters in a machine for a coke, you could get that down to two or even one!!! I for one would very much like to see this happen. Oh, I suppose that I should mention that I believe we should can the paper $1 forever. It's been said over and over again that this would save taxpayers millions of dollars a year (then we could buy three more hammers or even put a down payment on a toilet seat).


What am I doing? Like I said. . . these things will never come to pass because of POLITICS!!!

Conder101

<< <i>Wouldn't it be nice to have a usable $1 and $0.50 cent coin? Instead of feeding four quarters in a machine for a coke, you could get that down to two or even one!!! >>



There is no need to change sizes/values to accomplish that, just set the coin mechanism in the machine to accept those coins. And you never want to change a coin size to the same size as another coin, especially that of a lower value coin. Doing so will in effect allow all of the older low value coins to be used as the new higher value coins with a corresponding loss to the vendor.

python1

working link to the CCCAConline.org

BSqr

Sacagacrappa - ROFL!

Keets, your're right. They killed 2 PC birds with one stone.

Anyone know where I can pick up one of those gold (real) Sacs on the cheap? I'm willing to pay more than melt...

wallstreetman

I agree with the article in Coin World! Virginia would get more recognition if the design were changed for good, there would be more interest in Jefferson if he dissappeared from the Nickel than to remain. Kind of like an artist becoming more popular once he passes.

cosmicdebris

If Virginia has their way, the nickel after 2006:

Askari

"United State of Virginia" ... so they're going to be invading "West, by God, Virginia"?

wallstreetman

Question is, how does one state control the entire nations coinage?