A letter to the Senate about H.R. 258 and coins

[Hoot]

Hi All - I have just written a letter to my State's senator regarding the redesign of U.S. coinage and the proposed bill before the House to make the designs of the 5 cent piece follow a static theme. I urge any and all of you to write similarly to your senators and representatives. I've copied the (lengthy) letter below in hopes to spirit a few of you on. If you want to know the address of your state's senators, go to: HERE. For representatives, go HERE

 

Hoot

 

 

From: Mark M. Hooten, Ph.D. March 3, 2003

 

To: Senator Max Baucus

511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20510

(202) 224-2651

 

Re: The State of Virginia’s legislative proposal H.R. 258.

 

 

Dear Senator Baucus,

 

You are probably aware of issues surrounding the redesign of U.S. coinage, in particular those denominations that have been circulated to date for greater than 25 years. These denominations include the Lincoln cent, circulated since 1909, the Jefferson nickel, circulated since 1938, the Roosevelt dime, circulated since 1946, the Washington quarter, until the State Quarters program circulated since 1932, and the Kennedy half dollar, circulated since 1964. In the period of time since the last major revision of these denominations, there has been an attitude of stasis in the design of our circulating coinage. This has arisen for many reasons, but they span the gamut from the rapid changes and improvements in manufacture, to political dogma that has infiltrated the vision of the Treasury Department and those who would exert political control thereupon. The exercise of stasis in the design of U.S. coinage has led also to a commonplace indifference in the American public that the coinage of modern day is fixed, with little or no leeway or reason to change. Nothing could be farther from the truth, as evidenced by Americans’ embrace of the rich symbology of the State Quarters program.

 

Our nation has a rich heritage of circulating coinage. It has deep roots that hearken to the establishment of our autonomy as an independent nation. Indeed, much of our nation’s first coinage did not even bear the denomination, a signpost that our coinage was to be reckoned with as a world-wide force in trade. The lessons of this heritage are many and require significant study, but it is wonderfully summarized in some of the modern works of numismatics: Q. David Bowers’ (1979) History of United States Coinage as illustrated by the Garrett collection, Don Taxay’s (1966) The U.S. Mint and Coinage, and Walter Breen’s (1988) Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins. These works texture the mind with the understanding that the evolution and facial change in our circulating coinage is a lucid expression of deep and current history combined, often with the allegorical expressions of Liberty, Victory, and Freedom. These values are held true in the heritage of our coinage, not in it static or institutional form.

 

It is in these truths that I approach you on the topic of the State of Virginia’s legislative proposal H.R. 258. This bill, as proposed by Virginia Representative Eric Cantor, and modified by the Chairman of the House Financial Committee, Michael Oxley of Ohio, is an abomination of the heritage of our rich numismatic history. Indeed, in the long while that our circulating coinage has remained static, it is refreshing that the U.S. Mint and Treasury Department have at last put forth the contention that our circulating coinage should change. Yet, H.R. 258 seeks to destroy the foundations of the allegorical and artistically unbounded impetus of U.S. coinage design by setting constraints on the design reformation of one of our most basic circulating denominations: the 5 cent piece. This must not happen.

 

Indeed, the ramifications of H.R. 258 are extraordinary. I should mention first that the Mint Act of Sept. 26, 1890 empowers the Secretary of the Treasury to unilaterally institute change in coin designs without congressional approval, given that the current designs have appeared on coins for the last 25 years. This act has been instituted numerous times, giving us some of our most wonderful coin designs, e.g., the buffalo and Jefferson nickels, the winged Liberty dime, the Standing Liberty and Washington quarters, the walking Liberty and Franklin half dollars, etc. However, H.R. 258 is an attempt to usurp the intent of the act: to allow a non-politically influenced governmental body to intercede on behalf of the nation’s values to create circulating coinage that by allegory or depiction of history conveys the inheritance of our country’s greatness. This is not a politically motivated intent.

 

We must not allow a political interest veil the inheritance of greatness implicit in the redesign of our nation’s coinage. H.R. 258 and Chairman Oxley’s reformation thereof are designed to remove the power of the Treasury to act on behalf of the benevolent interests of our nation’s coin design. Indeed, Oxley’s proposed abolition of the CCCAC (Citizen’s Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee) and replacement with the CCAC (Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee) is windowdressing for the insidious passage of Cantor’s bill. These issues are clearly separate, and must not be allowed to ride together on any form of legislation.

 

I urge you Senator, to lobby against the passage of H.R. 258. Furthermore, I urge you to be a stalwart in the fight for this nation’s numismatic heritage. If H.R. 258 passes the House, I urge you to vote against its subsequent form in the Senate. We must not allow our nations numismatic heritage to be hijacked by the childish charms and ignorant political interests of a few.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Mark M. Hooten

 

[Twowood]

Great letter...I reduced it to one paragraph and sent it off to the "Smartest woman in the world" Hillary Clinton...regretably my US Senator.

If the subect doesn't concern women, AIDS patients, minorities, gays or children, she has no interest in it!

Again...good letter. Twowood

[jtryka]

Great letter, I'd send it to my senators, but unfortunately I think they are still in Iraq!

[BankNote1]

I am not sure that I understand what H.R. 258 will do? Also why didn't you send the letter to your Congressman instead of your Senator? H.R. is a "House Resolution", I think?? Sorry for being dumb...

[Hoot]

Well I did send it to my congressman as well. Just posted the letter to the senator here. HR 258 is designed to do THIS.

 

There's much more in the archives of Coin World.

 

Hoot

[GDJMSP]

Hoot -

 

This bill passed the House and was referred to the Senate last Thursday Status of H.R. 258

 

This sucker is being fast tracked again - they passed it with a motion to suspend the rules and had a voice vote in 2 hrs. It passed 412 to 5. That is some improvement - last yr. there was only 1 dissenting vote and it only took 10 minutes.

 

Now there is a slim chance it will be defeated in the Senate. But if that is to happen then the folks who care need to act now - today !

 

The campaign for US coinage redesign is about to get stepped up a notch as well. And since that is tied to this indirectly - it will have an effect. But I just don't know if this bill can be stopped in time. But it can always be changed in the intervening 3 yrs

[Hoot]

GDJMSP - Thanks for the reply and the update. Well, I'm glad I sent the letter to my senator as well as rep. As a rider on the reform of the CCCAC, I think the bill will pass. I reckon I can always give a shot at the President. I hope we all will.

 

Your thread from some time ago: Time for a Change in our Change was much more timely. Thanks still for your encouragement.

 

Hoot

[chrisfuccione]

Great letter Mhooten! I have a favor to ask because I don't know how to do an atachment yet. If it is ok with you I would like soeone to tell me how to do an atachment and then I could use you letter as a form letter and go to the other coin message boards and have a bunch of collectors send this letter out. CHRIS

[BankNote1]

Thanks for the info on the H.R. 258. It sounds like this freight train can't be stopped. IMO our coinage became political when they put Lincoln on the cent in 1909. You are just un-American if you want to change our coinage. I would love to see new designs on the cent thru the half, obverse and reverse.

[jeh46544]

I reckon I can always give a shot at the President.

 

What kind of SHOT do you mean? You better hope the secret service doesn't read these boards.

[Hoot]

Holy smokes Joe! Don't say things like that!

 

I sent my letter to Mr. Bush today.

 

There's a new article about redesigning our coinage in the current COINage magazine. I'll post info on it later (after work!).

 

Here's the bill now before the senate Check out Section 102. I cannot yet find the senate bill number on the internet.

 

Hoot

[Hoot]

Here is the link to an individual web page began by a fellow board member in a grass roots effort to see our nation's coinage change: http://www.jdsworld.net/change/petitions.html

 

I found this in the April 2003 COINage Magazine article "Embracing Change." Good article.

 

There's an online petition that one can sign on the website above that is for a mandatory change in our coinage every 25 years (in the spirit of the Mint Act of Sept. 26, 1890). This is in an effort to end stagnation in our nation's coinage.

 

Hoot