# Is The Director of The Mint Accountable to Congress?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-director-of-the-mint-accountable-to-congress/589621>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 19, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-director-of-the-mint-accountable-to-congress/589621 "2011-07-19T20:03:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-director-of-the-mint-accountable-to-congress/589621/1 "2011-07-19T20:03:34Z")

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Could the director of the US Mint decide unilaterally that, from tomorrow going forward, all US coins bear the image of Marilyn Monroe on the obverse and Spongebob Squarepants on the reverse? Do changes to US coinage/currency require some sort of congressional and/or executive approval?

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**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-director-of-the-mint-accountable-to-congress/589621/2 "2011-07-19T20:06:01Z")

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Everyone has bosses and while I am unsure who can exert control over the director of the US Mint I am sure someone could stop this from happening.

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**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-director-of-the-mint-accountable-to-congress/589621/3 "2011-07-19T20:12:59Z")

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There is a slideshow on the website of the US Mint [here](http://www.usmint.gov/mint_tours/?action=vtShell), slide #9, that says

> [@](#):
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> Legislation is the driving force behind new coins and designs.

, and references the Dollar Coin Act of 1997 [wiki link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_$1_Coin_Act_of_1997), which led to the Sacagawea Coin.

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**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-director-of-the-mint-accountable-to-congress/589621/4 "2011-07-19T20:39:14Z")

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Here’s another write up on [answer.com](http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/f/design_process.htm).

> [@](#):
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> All U.S. coins begin with legislation passed by Congress that outlines what the coins should look like, the denominations they should bear, and what metal they can be struck from.

They don’t post cites, though. ☹

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**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-director-of-the-mint-accountable-to-congress/589621/5 "2011-07-19T20:39:43Z")

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NPR recently did a [story](http://www.npr.org/2011/06/28/137394348/-1-billion-that-nobody-wants)on the Congressional mandate to produce the Presidential and Sacagawea dollar coins, nevermind the fact that most of them are winding up being returned by banks to be stored in Federal Reserve vaults. Best bit is the Congresscritter who fought for the quota of Sacagawea coins (in addition to the Presidentials) still won’t admit that it might not have been the best idea…