Commemorative coins in 2020 to honor the 100th anniversary of Prohibition
WillieBoyd2
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The Eighteenth Amendment (alcohol prohibition) to the US Constitution was ratified in 1919 and that same year the US Congress passed the National Prohibition Act (the Volstead Act) which established penalties for the manufacture and sale of alcohol.
The Act took effect on January 17, 1920 marking the start of "Prohibition".
Prohibition lasted 13 years ending in December 1933. It was a period marked mostly by non-compliance by the American public.
The Prohibition era produced, among other things, flappers, bathtub gin, 3.2 beer, Al Capone, Prohibition agents, medical alcohol permits, speakeasies, moonshiners, bootleggers, rumrunners, stills.
Personal notes: I live near San Francisco, a town which was infamous for non-cooperation. The coast south of the city was a prime landing point for alcohol deliveries. The primary job of the local US Coast Guard at the time was chasing rumrunners.
Prohibition would be a suitable candidate for commemorative coins. It is a known American historical period which affected almost everyone in the country at the time, and it is well known to the current public through books, films, and television programs (remember "The Untouchables"?).
Write your congressman or senator, or better yet, buy him a drink.
A numismatic note from one of New York City's former speakeasies:
Leon and Eddie's Nightclub Good Luck Coin
The club began as a Prohibition-era speakeasy and later operated as a nightclub.
Leon and Eddie are shown thumbing their noses (at Prohibition?).
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
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Comments
I like the idea! count me in! and also cheers! for a drink
I used to play in one of Capone's old hideouts - I'm in.
I'm OK with this. I actually can't stand the taste of alcohol!
Seems like they could think of something better to commemorate.
What you want to do, is celebrate the only failed amendment in the US Constitution, and laws which turned the majority of the country's population into criminals? It made it okay to break the law if you didn't like it.
Ought to be celebrating 1933 when Washington did the right thing for the wrong reasons. Nothing like the need of tax money to change a politicians mind...
My god I'm turning into a crotchety old man.
You would think so but with some of their recent offerings it doesn't appear so.
huh?
4/1?
It's time to kill the series, or at least let it rest for a few decades like done between classic and modern commems.
But with that said, I'm all for alcohol. Commemorate away!
Joseph J. Singleton - First Superintendent of the U.S. Branch Mint in Dahlonega Georgia
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It might be worth a shot but I don't give a dram.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
I don't think that this is worthy topic for a commemorative coin, especially since we have too many modern commemorative coins already.
There was nothing "noble" about the "noble experiment" imposed by the 18th Amendment. It was an oppressive law conceived by blue noses and busy bodies who thought they had the right to deny others the right to convivial glass of wine or an enjoyable tankard of beer. Otherwise law abiding Americans flaunted the law, and the suppliers of alcohol ultimately became violent organized criminals, like Al Capone, who was hardly a folk hero and is totally unworthy of any sort of numismatic commemoration.
If I were to write my congressman at all about this issue, it would be to oppose it.
What organization would get the premiums from a Prohibition Commemorative?
An episode in American history that more accurately represented governmental oppression and incredibly bad judgement. While I do not recommend burying history or ignoring it, I certainly do not recommend a celebration of stupidity. Cheers, RickO
Horrible to turn people into criminals for enjoying themselves.
The EXACT same thing is going on TODAY in America with the exception of 7 AWESOME states
About 20 years ago when we lived on the other side of town one of our older neighbours befriended us and had us come to her social events etc. We really liked her because she had lived long enough that she was in her twenties during prohibition and could tell us about speakeasies etc bootleggers etc. She and her husband were in the "in" crowd then and socialized with quite a few interesting people.
Maybe they could sell them in taverns and treat them as "challenge coins"?
Oops, I accidently updated my own post.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
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Absolutely stupid to "honor" something so widely destructive. Prohibition led to massive lawlessness and abuse of power, institutionalized corruption, tremendous growth of gangs, and widespread mistrust in both law enforcement and governments. It also promoted the idea of hiding alcohol and drug abuse, and that those with money could flout the law with impunity !
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CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
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Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
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More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
It's an interesting idea. What else are we going to commemorate from 1920? The "government oppression" angle is a bit hard for me to fathom - 46 out of 48 states ratified the amendment, so, you know, it kind of went along with exactly how democracy is set up in this country. Clearly it was a bad idea though. You'd be surprised at the number of "dry" places still around - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dry_communities_by_U.S._state. My own city of residence had "prohibition" from 1896 through 1969 - 73 years. Numerous long-time establishments still exist just outside the edge of the old city limits.
My grandfather, the source of much of my original coin collection, played trumpet in Chicago speakeasies during the Roaring Twenties, and carried a revolver in his trumpet case.
Only two commems a year.
Basketball was passed last year for a 2020 commems.
The second is probably going to be, S1235, “Women's Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act.” It passed the Senate on 4 June. Waiting on the house. Nothing else is close and it’s getting late in the year.
a commem for prohibition would be better off in 2033 the end of prohibition would be better at that time not now with all the grief that came with it, cheers, john