# Does the (possible) new dollar coin have any hope for success? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440 "2005-04-27T21:12:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/1 "2005-04-27T21:12:03Z")
As seen [here](http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/27/pf/new_dollar/?cnn=yes). > [@](#): > > The idea steals a page from the popular 50 State Quarters series, in which the engraving on the 25-cent piece rotates to honor all the states. That legislation was also the brainchild of Rep. Castle. > > The subjects depicted on the dollar coins would be the U.S. presidents. The plan is to introduce four new ones a year beginning in 2007, honoring each of the nation’s chief executives in the order of their service. > > After the 50 State series launched in the late 1990s, the government discovered that an astonishing number of people were collecting each new quarter as it rolled out of the U.S. Mint, taking the pieces out of circulation. What do ya think? Will folks want to buy a cigar with a few Clinton bucks? Some broccoli with a Bushie? ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/2 "2005-04-27T21:17:41Z")
The dollar coin in Canada was an astounding success - and then, the government took the dollar bill out of collection, so we had no choice. As I don’t think the US government will ever get rid of the $1 bill, I don’t think this will be a big success. Think of Susan B. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/3 "2005-04-27T21:20:46Z")
That’s the only way it will ever fly. But we can’t take dollar bills out of circulation…how can you stuff coins into the g-string of a stripper? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/4 "2005-04-27T21:28:30Z")
> [@](#): > > That means by 2018 or so – when Bush and Clinton would be in their early 70s – the United States could break a long-standing tradition that money only honors the deceased. …or not. : crosses fingers : I think they’re on the right track with getting wimmin off the money. Hell, the hubcap-sized silver dollar was around for a million years, even with That Ugly Man’s puss on it. The Woman Dollars were always resisted. But yeah, they gotta yank the paper if they’re serious. Or just keep on minting them until the things are no longer novel. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/5 "2005-04-27T21:28:53Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > That’s the only way it will ever fly. But we can’t take dollar bills out of circulation…how can you stuff coins into the g-string of a stripper? You learn not to be so cheap, and use $5s. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/6 "2005-04-27T21:29:59Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > That’s the only way it will ever fly. But we can’t take dollar bills out of circulation…how can you stuff coins into the g-string of a stripper? 😃 : elbows **silenus** in the ribs : dude…hold the coin in your _teeth._ ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/7 "2005-04-27T22:47:34Z")
Hmmmmm…_all_ of them? What would you spend your Nixon on? (Re strippers…_one dollar_? Christ, why do you think there’s a €500 note in circulation?) ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/8 "2005-04-28T00:23:02Z")
If the new coins are (a) notably bigger than the other coins currently in use, or (b) hard to distinguish by sight _and_ touch from a current coin (especially the quarter), it’ll be doomed. (a) doomed the Kennedy silver dollars from widespread use; (b) doomed the Susan B. and Sajagea(sp?) coins from wide acceptance. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/9 "2005-04-28T00:31:36Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > What would you spend your Nixon on? Audio tapes. WHat else? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/10 "2005-04-28T01:05:44Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > The dollar coin in Canada was an astounding success - and then, the government took the dollar bill out of collection, so we had no choice. The same occurred in Australia. If the US government’s serious about introducing a dollar coin then it will have to withdraw the dollar note. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/11 "2005-04-28T01:11:35Z")
With inflation aggravated by the decline of the dollar relative to other major currencies, the dollar coin will have to take off eventually. 70 Eurocents is a laughably small amount for a bill. On the other hand the article hints that the Mint’s secret hope is that the public will buy and hoard these coins to boost the profit from making them. If that’s true then the coins probably will be another flop. One problem with using the Presidents is that they’d almost scream out to be “collected” rather than spent, even if they are being produced in enough numbers to circulate. Either that, or we’ll move toward being a cashless society and use debit and credit cards for everything. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/12 "2005-04-28T01:14:38Z")
The [Sackie](http://www.coinfacts.com/silver_dollars/sacagawea_dollars/2000s_sac_dollar_obv.jpg) is a beautiful coin. I don’t understand why the Federal Reserve didn’t simply stop making the paper $1. The mint makes a mint on selling coins to the Feds… costs them a few cents to make a quarter, which they sell to the Fed at face value, or something like that. I’m not sweating the details as I see this is not GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/13 "2005-04-28T01:18:20Z")
The $1 note was not withdrawn because the folks who supply the specialized linen and ink for them has enormously deep lobbying pockets. There’s one hell of a lot of money in…um…money. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/14 "2005-04-28T01:40:35Z")
Honoring US presidents is a step in the right direction. Since the US public doesn’t really want dollar coins, the Mint needs to choose subjects that will generate interest. Kennedy was a good choice, but unfortunately the coin was so big and heavy that no one wanted to lug them around. The mint got the hint and made a smaller coin, but then they made two other mistakes: (a) it looked and felt too much like a quarter, and (b)they chose a nauseatingly politically-correct subject – an early feminist. When they tried again a few years ago, they corrected problem (a) by making the coin gold, but they didn’t get the message about problem (b), and chose an obscure historical footnote whose name most people can’t even spell. Maybe this time they’ll get it right. I hope they keep the gold color. Maybe they can make them so the gold color doesn’t wear off so quickly. Sackajewea (sp?) coins start to look like arcade tokens after a bit of wear. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/15 "2005-04-28T01:55:20Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > That’s the only way it will ever fly. But we can’t take dollar bills out of circulation…how can you stuff coins into the g-string of a stripper? 😃 They have coin slots, you know. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/16 "2005-04-28T02:25:26Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > they chose a nauseatingly politically-correct subject – an early feminist. Yeah, god forbid we put anyone but white males on our money. What is so nauseatingly PC about Susan B. Anthony? It’s not like they put Andrea Dworkin on the dollar, or Gloria Steinem (well, both of them are or were alive until very recently, so that would preclude them anyway). Perhaps giving women the right to vote is seen as a radical move by some people. Anyway, I think the dollar coin series idea is stupid. People are going to confuse these coins for other ones even more than they currently do, since there will be forty-two (and counting) different heads, and some of the people are pictured on other coins. With the different state quarters, the heads side was unchanged, which made the coins harder to mix up with other currency, since we’re all used to seeing Washington on that coin, but the eagle on the other side is not as “iconic” an image. Having so many different designs on the side of the coin that’s more important in recognition does not seem like a great idea. Also, people are just going to hoard these the way they did the state quarters, and it will be even more of a problem because they won’t take the bills out of circulation, so people won’t be forced to use them the way they were forced to use state quarters eventually. I don’t get the point of hoarding dollar coins (unlike quarters, they’re actually worth something! Why would you stick forty-two dollars in a box just so you can look at it?), but rest assured, most of these will wind up in the hands of collectors. I remember when the gold dollar came out there were signs in stores saying they had gold dollars to give out as change, presumably so people could have them to collect (why would you care what form your change came in otherwise?). I wonder how many of those dollars went back into circulation. I think we should make a dollar coin similar to the Canadian two-dollar coin, one that’s gold on the outside and has a silver disc in the middle (or vice versa). That would be impossible to mistake for other coins. Or make a coin with a hole in the middle. Or a square coin (though you might run into problems with coin-op machines there). ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/17 "2005-04-28T02:27:53Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > They have coin slots, you know. Yes, but they get peeved when I try to make change. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/18 "2005-04-28T02:53:35Z")
I can’t wait for the Polk-Taylor-Fillmore-Pierce set to come out. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/19 "2005-04-28T12:50:47Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > The dollar coin in Canada was an astounding success - and then, the government took the dollar bill out of collection, so we had no choice. As I don’t think the US government will ever get rid of the $1 bill, I don’t think this will be a big success. Think of Susan B. Ginger pretty much said what I would have said. Oddly, I liked the dollar coins and carried them regularly, but right now I have about 20 one dollar bills in my wallet and I can see where 20 one dollar coins would be a pain. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440/20 "2005-04-28T13:02:16Z")
The dollar coin idea is mindnumbingly stupid. I like the way that $20 in singles fits neatly and quietly in my wallet or front pocket much in the same way that $20 in Sacejewia coins doesn’t. And it’s pretty much an American institution that strippers make their money one dollar bill at a time (excluding lap dances of course). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-possible-new-dollar-coin-have-any-hope-for-success/301440.md?page=2)