Is Presidential Dollar Edge Lettering Doomed?
Tuesday July 24, 2007
There have been a lot of rumors swirling around the subject of the Presidential Dollar edge lettering recently, and I've been getting a lot of email asking for clarifications on it, so let's go through the rumors and try to sort them out.Is Presidential Dollar edge lettering doomed? Umm...read on... (there's no easy answer to this one, but I do have an educated guess for you, once we examine the facts.)
Is it true that the House of Representatives passed a bill requiring In God We Trust to be moved off the edge and onto the faces of the Presidential Dollars? No. This bill, HR-2510, introduced by Congressman Virgil Goode on May 24, 2007, is still in committee and was never voted upon.
But the House of Representatives did pass a bill about this! I read about it in Coin World! There was a bill passed by the House, actually an amendment to an appropriations (government funding) bill, which removes all edge inscriptions from our coins. This is probably why there is so much confusion over this matter. Although the amendment to the appropriations bill HR-2829 was probably intended to restore In God We Trust and E Pluribus Unum to the faces of the coins, the way that Congressman Roger Wicker introduced the bill actually removes all edge lettering! In fact, it prevents the spending of any money for the use of any edge lettering equipment or processes at all for Fiscal Year 2008, with the ineffable logic that if the U.S. Mint isn't given any money to perform the job, the job can't be done. It's worth noting that edge lettering would resume in Fiscal Year 2009 unless the matter is addressed again somehow.
Why did Congressman Wicker go about it like this? Wicker apparently believes that if the funding for edge lettering is cut, the mottoes must revert to their former places. There is, in fact, a law that mandates that In God We Trust must appear on all of our coins, so presumably the Mint would be forced to redesign the Presidential Dollars with In God We Trust on one of the faces. However, some experts believe that if the law is passed in the Senate as written, Presidential Dollar mintage would have to be suspended until another bill spells out where to locate the displaced inscriptions. In reality, it is likely that the Senate will clarify the language in the version they pass, which would then be re-approved by the House.
So the Senate has to pass this bill, too, before the edge lettering changes? Nothing is going to happen just because of the House passage? Correct. In order for the bill to become law, it must pass both houses of Congress. It is even possible that the Senate will never let it out of committee to be voted on (unlikely because this is an appropriations bill, and the government needs its money) or they could pass a version without the edge lettering amendment. If that happens, the House would then be faced with a choice to either pass the appropriations bill without the amendment, or insist on including the amendment before passing the rest of the bill. In a way, Congressman Wicker was calling the Senate's bluff by tying this matter to an important, must-pass appropriations bill.
Does this mean that the House and Senate could kick this bill back and forth indefinitely, and hold the rest of the funding hostage to this one condition? In theory, yes, however our system of government has procedures in place to work these sorts of things out. If the Senate doesn't want to pass the bill with the edge lettering amendment intact, then a committee comprised of Senators and Congressmen will get together and develop a bill that both houses can agree on.
What do you predict the end result will be? Is edge lettering doomed? I don't believe that edge lettering is doomed, because the U.S. Mint has invested a lot of time and money in developing the technique for use on our coins. However, edge lettering may become edge "symbols" or be comprised of other designs in the future. Edge lettering is not only a more effective anti-counterfeiting measure than the plain edge is, it is very "modern" and people like our coinage to be on a par with that of the rest of the world. Therefore, I do not believe that edge inscriptions of some sort or another are doomed.
What is probably doomed is the use of In God We Trust on the edge of our coins. This issue is one of those things where certain people get emotionally worked up, and express very strong views on one side of the issue, but the people on the other side are apathetic and don't care one way or the other what happens. When only one side cares, they usually win when it comes to congressional lobbying, so I think it's a safe bet that In God We Trust will be restored to the faces of our Presidential Dollars.
When do you think this restoration will take place? It won't happen any time before the fifth Presidential Dollar (James Monroe, due in early 2008.) The Thomas Jefferson Dollars have already been struck and are just about to be released to the banks in a week or so (the release date for Jefferson is August 16.) The James Madison Dollars, due November 15, are too far along in the process to be withdrawn due to die design changes. The government Fiscal Year runs October 1 through September 30, so if the Mint is prevented from using its edge lettering processes for FY 2008, the ban would begin on Oct. 1. Presumably the Mint will have produced all of the Madison Dollars by then.
What do you think? Should "In God We Trust" be moved back onto the faces of the coins, or do you think it should be left on the edge? Or better yet, should we just scrap the edge lettering altogether? Share your views via the Comments link below.
Sources:
Numismatic News, July 17, 2007 - "House Wants 'In God We Trust' Moved"
Coin World, July 16, 2007 - "House Votes to Stop Using Edge Inscriptions on Dollar"
Text of U.S. House of Reps. Bill HR-2510
Text of U.S. House of Reps. Bill HR-2829
Conversations with staff members on Congressmen Goode's and Wicker's teams.
Miscellaneous Web sources including email correspondence with site visitors.
Stay informed about all of the important news in Coin Collecting by subscribing to my FREE weekly About Coins newsletter.
Image courtesy of the United States Mint.
Comments
Yes, I think “In God We Trust” should be PROMINENTLY displayed and we should NOT have to SEARCH for “God” on the edge !!
This is a sign of our times ! America used to be known as a “Christian” nation, but not anymore. God is still here, but you have to search for Him a little harder !!
God was still on our Presidential dollars (well, most of them ), but you had to look hard to find Him on the edge……
These are my thoughts on this…..
Yes! IN GOD WE TRUST should be on the front of our coins. This nation was founded on the Words IN GOD WE TRUST. We all need to fight a little harder and stop letting the non Christian take GOD out of all the things that they have already taken GOD out of. (schools, court room, exc.) It has got to stop!! HE IS COMING SOON PEOPLE WAKE UP!!!!!!!
The Presidential dollar coins are the ugliest and poorist example ever of US coinage. We shouldn’t be put in a position where we are searching for good examples of a coin and seeing nothing but errors. Anything they do will be an improvement.
Maybe I’m in the minority, but I am one of the people that actually love these coins! They are the ones for making me collect again after 4 decades! How can that be bad? God isn’t missing from these coins-with the exception of errors. I feel there are much more important items to address politcly than placement on coins!
I find it hard to believe that with all the problems this nation faces, that anyone (especially our elected officials) thinks this issue is really worthy of the time and energy spent already. The Senate and House should spend more time on the issues that need so desperately to be addressed and stop wasting time on this FLUFF! Thanks.
Well, I, for one, don’t need to read my coins to bolster my beliefs. God isn’t going to disappear from my or anyone’s life just because His name isn’t as prominent as some would like. Do you really think all the complainers actually read the inscription on every coin they spend? (Well, I guess they do now…) Hey, if they feel that threatened by a little piece of metal, they can stick to paper dollars.
As to the United States being founded as a Christian nation – well, yes, I suppose you could say that. It was mainly European, our Founding Fathers owned slaves, women weren’t allowed to own property or vote, and it was our God-given right to move west and conquer all in our path. Times change, don’t they, and we learn from our mistakes and grow and change. Invoking our beginnings brings along a lot of baggage.
That said, our Founding Fathers believed in freedom of religion, which means allowing people to worship as they choose. People can and will continue to do so whether or not they EVER see His name on the face of a coin. The designs are beautiful as is; let’s leave them alone.
(Hmm – I think I’ll send a copy of my comment to both my Congressperson and Senator and ask them to spend their valuable time on the many more important things facing our country. Thanks for the idea, Ken.)
I believe that all references to a GOD of any kind should be removed from all our coins and paper money as well. It is a clear indication of how backward we are. It is almost as bad as the Creationist Museum with a saddle on a dinosaur! What ever happened to seperation of church and state?
The motto “In God We Trust” should be removed entirely from coinage. Seeing as this is unlikely to happen, what does it matter where the motto appears? It’s not as if people look at each coin prior to using it and think to themselves “yes, I do trust in God.
Barring the argument for and against the motto, I think it would be a waste of Mint time and money to scrap the edge lettering. So much has already been invested in equipment, why not allow them to continue to have more space for the artistry on the obverse and reverse?
Perhaps at some point in the future they will be capable of creating a truly exquisite piece of art. After all, isn’t that why we collect coins? For all of the history and works of art they are?
Yes, I do feel that the inscription in God we Trust should be returned to the face of the coins along with E Pluribus unum and also the date and mint. It has become obvious that the US mint cannot produce satisfactory edge lettering with the equipment that they have. Even the Proof coins edge lettering is spotty and hardly visible. Poor equipement design produces poor quality.
Addendum to my earlier comment, How can anyone believe that edge lettering is more cost effective for the US government since it requires additional equipment, handling and labor to add the edge inscriptions.
I personally love the edgelettering, and as a member of a family who has collected coins for a near-century, this entire issue seems ridiculous (my grandfather laughs behind me).
The Presidential Dollars Program has done the most it has been given it. Sure, it would have been nice to revert the Dollar Coin to Peace Dollar / Eisenhower Dollar size, but when that didn’t happen, the makers decided it would be best to move the classical mottos on the side, to have more room for the Presidential Portriats. Overall, they are a bold, unique, and beautiful coin in our current cast of in-circulation coins.
Beyond that, they have been developed to specifically get people hooked into becoming a numismatist — an art and past time that is slowly dying.
Keep the side-lettering, keep the mottos, keep the coins! Like someone above said, there are FAR MORE important things to be worrying about.
YES GOD should be on the face of all coins, I agree these are the poorest example of coinage that the mint has ever produced, If we are celebrating our presidents service to this country, they should have been made of silver, instead, and Since we are a Christian nation, We need in God we trust on all coins for all to see.
I don’t care where “In God we trust” is printed as long as it kept on the coins. I do like the way it is printed on the edge.
After reading the other comments, I gather there’s no spell checker. I think it’s sad how intelligent people can misspell so much in their comments and still feel like it sounds intelligent. That’s MY soap box.
I think the coins are cool. Simplicity of face design is very modern and attractive. The edge printing is, potentially, a very innovative and impressive idea that could add a graceful balance to the coin’s, simple artistic design when they learn to make it not quite so ugly. The technique needs a lot of work. Move the “IN GOD WE TRUST” so the Mint can go back to focusing on improving the edge of this brilliant design. Maybe when the beauty of the edge printing does justice to the rest of the coin, people might WANT GOD MOVED BACK to the edge. It could be a glorious place for the inscription.
On the face or on the edge is fine, just so long as “In God we trust” is inscribed on the coins. Personally, I like it on the face of the coin.
I read where a poll was 86 percent in favor for In God we Trust and 14 percent against. Why should we as Americans let these 14 percent change something that our for fathers have fought and died for! When we take God out of heritage we will no longer have a fee and United Country. God Bless the U.S.A.
How long ago did our forefathers urge the separation from church and state? Isn’t that exactly our founders ran from England and created the United States?
I don’t know why religious people have been vehemently INSISTING so strongly that their way is the only way. Money SHOULDN’T have anything to do with personal spiritual beliefs. We are all AMERICANS, not Christians. Having this type, “In God We Trust” on the coin alienates people, and is clearly WRONG. Get Rid of it already!
This great United States of America was founded on biblical principles based on a belief in God! We should never forget it and restore it to the face of our coins!!
I am a patriot. I am a veteran of the USMC. I have served my country, and I am most definately an American.
What I am not is a Christian. Quite honestly, I could care less if the “In God We Trust” is on the coin or not. What irritates me is the amount of energy that is spent on this simple matter. For those that are religious, all that should matter is that it is on the coin. The location is a moot point.
Since we are on the topic though, I believe in seperation of church and state, as did the founders of this once powerful nation. What I see is the insistance of the religious to impose their beliefs on everyone else. Not every American is religious, so it is really presumptuous that we place that motto on government issued currency. To expand, those that ARE religious- not everyone is Christian. This country is a melting pot of many different cultures and beliefs, including many religions other than Christianity.
But, those that insist on their dogma will likely prevail as those in power share the same dogmatic views. Freedom of Religion? Hmmm. Sounds to me it was meant to be freedom of religion as long as it is tied to a Christian belief structure.
I think a lot of people, including those that are religious really need to re-examine their tolerance of others, and how they are really discriminating against the rest of us. Sadly, we- the non-religious, stand idly by and continue to allow it (sounds a lot like persecution, doesn’t it?).
I think we should DEFINITELY, ALWAYS leave the words “In God We Trust” on our US coins and bills! There’s so much to be said regarding this issue and the current state of the US (as well as the slippery slope we seem to be headed down) but, I’ll leave it at that for now in this forum.
Have a great day and may the true and living God Bless each of you! …even those of you who don’t YET believe. You will someday: “‘As surely as I live, says the Lord, ‘every knee shall bow … every tongue confess…’” Romans 14:11)
Sorry, didn’t mean to preach.
I feel that no religious motto should appear on coins from a country that allows religious freedom. One of the great freedoms of this nation is the ability to practice any religion, whether that religion centers on a belief in one God or many Gods (or even no God). So why does our coinage reflect a belief in a specific God?
For the first hundred years of U.S. coinage, no such motto existed. but during the Civil War, the darkest period in our violent, very unGodly history, religious sentiment caused several ministers and congregations to lobby for the placement of God on our coinage.
From an online history of the motto:
“The Congress passed the Act of April 22, 1864. This legislation changed the composition of the one-cent coin and authorized the minting of the two-cent coin…IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin.”
Subsequent coins of various denominations carried the motto, until in time all U.S. coinage carried it.
I’d also like to point out that all U.S. coinage once carried the image of Liberty. That imaged was removed from our coins after WWII, and the Presidentials are the first coin sto return to this image. Perhaps we should be more worried about the disappearance of Liberty from our money than the forcing of a God that not all of us choose to worship!
In God We Trust should appear on all coins minted in the United States. Where it appears does not matter. It will stay on all coins regardless of the opinions and beliefs of those who would prefer blank spaces on the coins similar to those blank spaces they worship in their minds.
It is so sad to read these comments. There are so many issues here. First of all, our nation was founded by those who wanted to escape religious persecution by the church, NOT God. They still brought their Christian values with them. Religion is not God, it is how we choose to worship whomever we worship. Our nation was founded on Christian (belief in Jesus Christ) and godly principles. The difference between right and wrong. How can there be anything wrong with that? Throughout the generations, horrible errors in judgement have been made in the name of God or religion as some would say. Humans make mistakes. It is sad to see so many people offended by the name of God. It was in God our forefathers trusted upon to establish this country. Why do we seem so intent on erasing that fact? As far as separation of church and state, maybe you need to do a little research in the area. Jefferson (Our president)wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. He was stating that although we are a Christian nation, our government should not set up a national religion. Thus the separation of church and state phrase. This is what sets our country apart from so many others. We accept people. I am offended that anyone coming into this country or is a descendent of anyone who came to this country (that’s all of us) would want to wipe away America’s history for their own means. Our foundation is built on acceptance of others, yet people do not want to accept Christianity or Christians. Why is that so offensive? Jesus preached about peace, love, and deliverance for all. I am so sad to see how many people were hurt in the name of Christianity but Christians are humans too, and make mistakes. I feel that In God we Trust is and should remain on the front of our money because that is our country’s belief. It is what other nations and people see. It is a symbol of what those who created our country believed. Others choose to believe differently yet these same people still want to become citizens of our country. Why is that? Um because we have freedom. Freedom to believe how we believe.