Not in this lifetime

I collect coins. I'm not an expert, I’m not particularly knowledgeable, and I don't own anything rare or especially valuable, with the single exception of a platinum coin I bought because it honors the free press rights provided by the First Amendment. I have mostly common coins, and I enjoy filling coin folders with complete collections — or as complete as possible.

I buy a lot of uncirculated (which denotes a more pristine condition) coins from the U.S. Mint, including dollar coins and Kennedy half-dollars, which stopped being put into circulation some years ago.

The Semi-Q half-dollar, dubbed Enduring Liberty.
Photo: Marge Neal

Emerging Liberty, the newly redesigned Semi-Q dime.
Photo: Marge Neal

The mint has announced the Sept. 2 release date of a $1 coin bearing the image of the sitting president. It is being marketed as an issue in the series of special semiquincentennial coins being minted just for this calendar year. The series includes a completely redesigned dime, a collection of five different quarters, and a newly designed half-dollar. While the nickel was not redesigned, it will bear the double date of 1776-2026 (as do the other coins mentioned).

Back and front of the Mayflower Compact quarter,
the first of five Semi-Q quarters to be issued this year.
Photo: Marge Neal

These coins have been tough to come by, both through the mint and from banks or in consumer change. For some reason, the mint chose to put a low limit on the number of rolls and bags sold online, and as a result, each product sells out within 10 minutes of being offered. And I haven't found any banks yet that have ordered any of the circulating coins.

Most coin collectors will tell you the hunt is a huge part of the attraction.

That said, this new dollar coin will not be brought into my home and the semiquincentennial coin folder will forever have an empty space in it.

Bullion Sharks is offering a $25 roll of coins for $69, while the U.S. Mint is charging a mere $61.

The only good thing about this coin is that all of these dollar coins have been failures in terms of popularity. Folks never warmed up to carrying them and, as a result, Federal Reserve vaults across the country are stuffed to the rafters with pallets and pallets of bags of dollar coins.

In spite of the unpopularity of these coins, the mint continues to spit them out at an alarming rate. There was a 10-year series of coins honoring all deceased presidents. Two years after George H.W. Bush’s death, his coin was minted and the coin honoring Jimmy Carter should be coming soon. (The law that created the presidents series said no living former or current president could be on a coin, and that coins for recently deceased presidents could be issued only after a two-year waiting period). 

The Native American/Sacajawea dollar coins have been minted since 2000. And now, we are in the midst of the 15-year series honoring the innovations of all 50 states plus territories.

The coins are being minted just for collectors and not for general circulation, though there are those of us who buy them from the mint and then spread them around. These coins are not commemorative coins. They are legal tender worth exactly one dollar each and can be spent accordingly. I always enjoyed leaving a new issue or two with a tip when I visited a pub or restaurant.

The latest Innovations dollar coins touts Minnesota's invention of mobile refrigeration.
Photo: Marge Neal

I give you that background so you and I can take pleasure in knowing the bulk of these DT coins — made possible by a specifically written bill that allowed the sitting president's image to be put on a coin as long as it honored the nation's 250th birthday — will languish unused and unadmired in cold, dark vaults until perhaps the day comes when they get destroyed.

In the mean time, keep your eyes peeled for the Semi-Q coins designed to hit banks and cash registers near you! Take a closer look at your nickels, dimes and quarters if you want to start your own collection.