This didn’t come to my attention until I read it in Michael Zielinski’s NY TImes op/ed piece:
Last year Congress passed legislation that will have a long-term impact on our pocket change. The law authorized a new series of quarters, to be released over 11 years, with at least 56 different designs featuring national parks or sites.
. . .
This year we have even more coin programs featuring rotating designs. For Lincoln’s 200th birthday, four different reverse (tails) designs were produced for the penny. American Indians will be honored with a new series of dollar coins. And six quarters will be issued featuring the District of Columbia as well as the territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands.
I agree with Mr. Zielinski that this too much. The 50 State Quarters Program was successful because at the time new coin designs were a novelty. Lured by the prospect of additional profits, Congress took this good thing and has gone too far with it. It’s getting to the point where we won’t even be able to recognize which coin is which.
The only coin of all the above proposed designs that I’d be interested in having would be one of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and that’s only because of my regional attachment to it. I say just mint those and forget the rest.
Oh, and one more thing on the topic of U.S. money: please redesign the $1 bill to match the other redesigned bills. Thanks.
Just my two cents.