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Reissue the half dime???? Is it plausible?

mrcommemmrcommem Posts: 1,152 ✭✭✭✭
This would need Congressional authority since the denomination was abolished in "Crime of 1873". Since nickel five cent coins are now worth more than face value, I suggest the the half dime is reintroduced having the same cupro-nickel clad composition as the dime, quarter, and half dollar with the same diameter and thickness of the old half dime. Since this composition is 75% copper the cost should be below 5 cents. The nickel five cent production could be suspended and replaced by half dimes.

Comments

  • ziggy29ziggy29 Posts: 18,668 ✭✭✭
    I suspect the public would whine that the coin is too small for use in commerce.
  • CaptainRonCaptainRon Posts: 1,189 ✭✭
    Cool idea, but can it wait until I finish my bust half dime set firstimage
    image
  • MrHalfDimeMrHalfDime Posts: 3,440 ✭✭✭✭
    Well I, for one, would support it. image It's about time that the little half dime got the recognition that it deserves. Maybe that would give me a few more dates to look for. And while we are at it, could we also place Miss Liberty's likeness on it? Now that would be something to look forward to. I might even put my name back on the Mint's mailing list. Great idea!! image
    They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
  • ziggy29ziggy29 Posts: 18,668 ✭✭✭
    And while we are at it, could we also place Miss Liberty's likeness on it? Now that would be something to look forward to. >>

    Are you kidding? The Virginia Congressional delegation revolted at just removing Monticello, let alone Jefferson.
  • CaptainRonCaptainRon Posts: 1,189 ✭✭
    That was for the nickel though, this is a half dismeimage
    image
  • CladiatorCladiator Posts: 17,918 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'd buy them.
  • CladiatorCladiator Posts: 17,918 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I don't think it would have to be a 15-16mm sized coin. Simply making it the same size as the current cent should be enough of a size down from the current nickel to save the mint money. Then eliminate the cent all together so we don't have two circulating coins in the same size and different denomination. It could all be done to begin in 2010.
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,898 ✭✭✭✭✭
    As long as the design features LIBERTY and not a dead president I think it is a great idea.
    All glory is fleeting.
  • BaleyBaley Posts: 22,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    the size, weight, and conductivity of coins is important to commerce.

    substitues are unlikely to differ from current standards.

    eliminate the cent, realloy the nickel, stop making stupid half dollars, make dollar coins cool, eliminate the paper dollar, and be done with it for a while

    Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry

  • DrizztDrizzt Posts: 1,036 ✭✭✭
    I still say add a zero to everything....dimes become $1.....quarters $2.50......dollars $10.00....FIVE DOLLAR GOLD BULLION $50.00...image
  • cladkingcladking Posts: 28,307 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I suspect the public would whine that the coin is too small for use in commerce. >>



    I agree. The vending industry would scream even louder. It took them thirty years
    just to get the clad dimes to work in the machines so a half dime would cause a major
    headache.

    In principle it's a great idea.

    The best bet is a simple switch to aluminum but the public would scream about this too.
    Tempus fugit.
  • BarryBarry Posts: 10,100 ✭✭✭
    eliminate the cent, realloy the nickel, stop making stupid half dollars, make dollar coins cool, eliminate the paper dollar, and be done with it for a while

    Baley - if you run for office, I'll vote for you! However, a sensible idea is unlikely to make it through Congress image
  • CoxeCoxe Posts: 11,139


    << <i>the size, weight, and conductivity of coins is important to commerce.

    substitues are unlikely to differ from current standards.

    eliminate the cent, realloy the nickel, stop making stupid half dollars, make dollar coins cool, eliminate the paper dollar, and be done with it for a while >>



    I differ one this. Eliminate BOTH the cent and the 5c nickel. Complete the elimination of the second decimal digit by getting rid og the quarter too. We should be using the 1/10 of a dollar precision for all of our minor coinage. Then reintroduce the half dollar at about the size of a nickel. Coin 10c, 50c, $1, $5, $10. That would be efficient for the market needs. Sure people will btch and whine at first. People did the same a few years ago when we went decimal on the stock exchanges, leaving the fractions to carpenters. This just makes sense. (Oh, obviously, we also stop printing $1, $5 and perhaps $10 notes too.)
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  • awesome concept! What design would it be?
  • LanLordLanLord Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This would get us around those Va. bitches that think they hijacked the nickel
  • Prediction: you will never change the basic denominations of U.S. Coins. Congress isn't going to do anything that'll rock the boat. The dollar bill, the cent, the nickel, the dime, the quarter--all are here to stay, regardless of their manufacturing cost.
    I heard they were making a French version of Medal of Honor. I wonder how many hotkeys it'll have for "surrender."
  • RWBRWB Posts: 8,082
    Reintroduction of the half-dime was considered in 1942 as a wartime emergency measure to save copper and nickel. There is an illustrated article in Coin Values of September 2006. There is also a short thread on this on these boards - search on "1942 half dime."
  • cladkingcladking Posts: 28,307 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Prediction: you will never change the basic denominations of U.S. Coins. Congress isn't going to do anything that'll rock the boat. The dollar bill, the cent, the nickel, the dime, the quarter--all are here to stay, regardless of their manufacturing cost. >>



    You may be right if metals prices stop increasing right now, but at some point
    the public will simply stop giving away their coins for face value. This wouldn't
    be as devastating to the economy as the coin shortage in 1965 but it will be
    devastating to many millions of individual transactions.

    Trying to maintain the status quo can lead to disaster because things change
    and time marches on whether you keep up or not.
    Tempus fugit.
  • seateddimeseateddime Posts: 6,169 ✭✭✭
    would be fun
    I seldom check PM's but do check emails often jason@seated.org

    Buying top quality Seated Dimes in Gem BU and Proof.

    Buying great coins - monster eye appeal only.
  • MrHalfDimeMrHalfDime Posts: 3,440 ✭✭✭✭
    "And while we are at it, could we also place Miss Liberty's likeness on it? Now that would be something to look forward to. >>

    Are you kidding? The Virginia Congressional delegation revolted at just removing Monticello, let alone Jefferson."

    image

    That's right. I had forgotten about the Virginia coup, to hijack the nickel. From what I understand, they have permanently established Jefferson's placement on the nickel, and that of Monticello. I am a long time student and admirer of Thomas Jefferson, and I would be reluctant to remove such a great American from our coins, but assuming that there is some legal way around that, wouldn't it be nice to see a depiction of the allegorical Miss Liberty once again on our five cent piece? Bring back the half disme design, or perhaps Reich's Capped Bust, or maybe Gobrecht's Liberty Seated design, without the stars. I can dream, can't I?
    They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
  • Good point about Gresham's Law, Clad. You are correct; I had forgotten about that!

    MrHalfDime--It wasn't a Constitutional Amendment or anything, just a law. All Congress has to do is pass a law to repeal it, and then they can put any design on the nickel that they want to.
    I heard they were making a French version of Medal of Honor. I wonder how many hotkeys it'll have for "surrender."
  • mrcommemmrcommem Posts: 1,152 ✭✭✭✭
    The reason I think the coin needs to be the same size as the original half dime is due to mint cost. The cent and nickel already cost more than face value. If a half dime was made of too much metal (copper and nickel) plus the cost to manufacture could possibly exceed the 5 cents. I don't know how much that cost would be. Does anyone know what the cost of all of the different denominations cost the mint to make?
  • CladiatorCladiator Posts: 17,918 ✭✭✭✭✭
    15mm is too small for public acceptance now a days. Make the new half dime the same size as the current cent and you'll save enough on metal costs to make it worth while. We already know that the size of the current cent is acceptable to the population.

    Kill the cent. Kill the nickel. Bring back the half dime in the form of a cent sized Cu/Ni coin.
  • Since the Canadian and US nickels are almost at par, I predict the mint will switch to the nickel plated steel composition that the Canadians use. Problem with 5c elimination is that many casinos still use them for nickel slots. The casino lobby will stop elimination. Penny slots pretty much use dollar bill readers now, so the 1c is rip e for elimination.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Reissue the half dime???? Is it plausible? >>



    Absolutely

    NOT!

    Can you imagine how well that would go over with the public? Like a lead balloon.


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