Bald Eagle "Commemorative" Images

[pendragon1998]

Just what America needs - another coin with an eagle on it. Thank goodness the Mint thought of something creative for a change!

 

Link to Images

 

These have got to be the ugliest, most uninspired coins to be vomited forth by the mint yet. They're an embarrassment - particularly the excuses they have for the reverse images on the $1 and $5.

 

Anyone with knowledge of the breeding biology of Bald Eagles will wince when they see the image of the obverse on the (clad!) half dollar. It depicts two fuzzy little chicks in a nest with an egg in the foreground. Nice to think about the smaller chick (or chicks) being pecked to death by its broodmates and pushed out of the nest. Usually the third chick just flat out starves.

 

Hatching asynchrony and differential growth leads to differential mass in siblings, facilitating competition and fratricide (Bortolotti 1986a). Sibling competition and mortality is greatest early in nestling period, when size differences are greatest (Bortolotti 1986a). Third-hatched chicks in Saskatchewan nests received little food and usually starved. In 1 nest, mass of 9-d-old, 8-d-old, and 6-d-old siblings were 477, 260, and 80 g, respectively (Gerrard and Bortolotti 1988).

 

 

Also, the presence of these poor chicks, alone in the nest, is alarming. Where's the mother bird? They're incapable of thermoregulating at this age, so if Mom's away, they'll likely die of exposure soon. She's normally on the nest nearly constantly for the first month.

 

Adult (usually female) broods constantly during inclement and otherwise cool weather until about 4 wk of age (Stalmaster 1987, Gerrard and Bortolotti 1988). In Minnesota, during 4 d of observation, young were brooded, on average, 85% of daylight period during first week after hatching, with female brooding 65% of time and male 35% of the time (Fraser 1981).

 

Might I also add, what the heck are these coins supposed to commemorate?

 

Commemorative

 

2. (of a coin, medal, or postage stamp) issued to commemorate a historical event, to honor the memory of a personage, etc.

 

 

Opinion from this birder (and ornithology student): Two talons down.

 

 

 

Bald Eagle $5 Gold Coin

Year: 2008

Mintage (max.): 100,000

Public Law: 108-146

 

 

Bald Eagle Silver Dollar

Year: 2008

Mintage (max.): 500,000

Public Law: 109-146

 

 

Bald Eagle Half-dollar (Clad)

Year: 2008

Mintage (max.): 750,000

Public Law: 109-146

 

[TomB]

I enjoyed your post very much. (thumbs u As for the mom on the obverse of the half dollar, perhaps she was simply shot by a hunter or poisoned, which is why she is not pictured with the soon-to-be-deceased siblings.

[ldhair]

I like the gold but the reverse of the dollar looks like a chicken.

Don't know I care for the chicks on the half but the reverse looks really cool.

 

I'm sure most here know that part of the money the mint gets from each Commemorative goes to fund the topic of the coin.

It would be interesting to see exactly what the surcharges were used for with each program. Did they really do anything good with those funds?

 

[pendragon1998]

I'd rather see my money going to an organization like the American Ornithologist's Union than the mint's choice.

[TheMightyDuke]

Really nice, artsy looking coins, but honestly, we have had eagles on the REVERSE of coins for years and years....and werent these actually covered in the National Wildlife series a couple years back?

[bsshog40]

I like the Obv. but that Rev looks like !

[DC Dawg]

I'd rather see my money going to an organization like the American Ornithologist's Union than the mint's choice.

The Mint does not choose where the proceeds from commemoratives go. That is done by congress when the law is written. For the specifics, see Public Law 108-486.

 

I also suggest that if there is something you don't like, write to your members of congress. Although this will probably not change the law, it shows that someone cares which means they will care, because they don't want to lose votes!

 

Scott

[Dcoin]

You ever walk into a store and see just too much of the same stuff? To me everything begins to look the same. After a while too many products (any product) just lose their mystique. The Mint may be treading on this ground.

[pendragon1998]

I'd rather see my money going to an organization like the American Ornithologist's Union than the mint's choice.

The Mint does not choose where the proceeds from commemoratives go. That is done by congress when the law is written. For the specifics, see Public Law 108-486.

 

I also suggest that if there is something you don't like, write to your members of congress. Although this will probably not change the law, it shows that someone cares which means they will care, because they don't want to lose votes!

 

Scott

 

 

Fair enough...should have looked that up. In any case, I'm not familiar with the "American Eagle Foundation". Their website seems sort of amateur. "Sponsored by Dollywood"!

 

(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United

States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the

sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid by

the Secretary to the American Eagle Foundation of Tennessee in

the United States to further its works.