Paul Trusten wrote in USMA 14635:
>I feel that discussing the failure of the Sacagawea dollar coin on this
>listserv is relevant to our cause, since it represents the unwillingness
>of Americans to enact an important change, especially if that change
>that will run counter to their conventional ignorance.
>
>Has anybody on this list, in the US, and not in a Wal-Mart or an IHOP
>(they are, or were, running promotions on this),received one or more
>Sacagawea dollar coins in change? Since the coin was launched in January
>of 2000, I have never received this coin in change or from an
>individual.
>
>Believing that the people have been ripped off by expenditure of tax
>dollars to develop and launch the coin, immediately followed the total
>failure of this coin to circulate, I wrote to the US Treasury Inspector
>General's office asking them if they think there is some kind of loss or
>inequity at the US Mint. They did write back to say that this question
>is Mint business and forwarded my letter to the Mint (yeah, what the
>heck good is an Inspector General? He's supposed to INSPECT!). That was
>in February.
A few years ago the Bank of Canada, in the interest of economy, introduced
one- dollar and two-dollar coins. One-dollar and two-dollar notes were
completely withdrawn from circulation in a few months. The economy results
from the fact that coins have a much, much longer life than bills. There
was no public consultation, and so far as I am aware, there was no public
protest.
Joseph B. Reid
17 Glebe Road West
Toronto M5P 1C8 Tel. 416 486-6071
