U.S. Mint Director Answers Questions

As part of the release events for the State Quarters, (and occasionally at other times,) the U.S. Mint has been conducting "Collectors Forums," a sort of question and answer session where members of the public can meet an executive from the U.S. Mint (usually Mint Director Ed Moy,) and learn more about how the Mint sees things, and what its plans are. The Mint sees the sessions as an opportunity to get direct feedback from members of the public about its products and services, although they give as good as they get at most sessions.

Although I knew these sessions were taking place, and I reported whatever tidbits of news and information I could learn from reading the odd local press report about them, I recently became aware of the fact that the U.S. Mint Public Affairs Office actually gets transcripts of each Forum which they make available to the press by request. (This is my only pet peeve about the U.S. Mint, is that their press office is rarely proactive about releasing things. We have to request just about everything, but how do we request something we didn't even know existed?) Anyway, I know about these transcripts now, so I hope to be able to present the information in them to you in a more timely manner in the future.

In the Collectors Forum held in conjunction with the release of the New Mexico State Quarter a few weeks ago, Director Moy was asked some interesting questions about such things as making pennies out of paper or plastic, having a national coin design competition for children, and whether the U.S. Mint considers the Presidential Dollar program to be a success. Moy's answers are often surprising, because he gives candid, sincere responses rather than the typical dodgy bureaucratic-speak we might normally expect from a government agency head. Moy typically begins these Forums by going around the room and shaking hands with everyone, thanking them for coming. He always has time for photos and autographs, and is easily the most charismatic Mint director we've had for awhile. Moy has also demonstrated that he knows how to get things done behind the scenes, as evidenced by his surprising success at getting something collectors have long dreamed of, the Ultra-High Relief Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles that will be struck next year. I hope he is equally successful is getting Congress to allow the Mint the necessary leeway to develop coin alloys that best suit our nation's needs, rather than being railroaded into using steel just because some congressman who hasn't done his homework has steel mills in his home district.

• U.S. Mint Director Answers Collectors' Questions

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Photo by Susan Headley