Dollar Coins

I was talking about coinage/numismatics with a friend the other day. We spent a little time discussing the new dollar coin, aka "The Golden Dollar".

Here is my personal complaints about the new dollar, in no special order. Now, these complaints don't reflect incompentence on the mint's part, as some important design specs were codified by Congress.

• It's not quite golden enough. This is especially irksome if you get a new one that hasn't gotten much circulation. In the right light it reflects about the same way a quarter does. A bi-color approach would have been preferable in my way of thinking.
• It's too close to the same size as a quarter.
• I associate the lack of reeding on the edges with lower denomination coins, like pennies and nickels. It seems odd that this doesn't have reeding.
• I prefer presidents on my money. I know this might preclude women in the short run, but is it that cool to be on a one dollar coin which will probably only be slightly more successful than the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin? A Theodore Roosevelt coin would suit me just fine.
• It weighs close to the same amount as a quarter, so it's hard to tell without looking whether you grabbed a quarter or a dollar out of your pocket. (I know one has reeding and the other doesn't, but I'm talking about heft right now.)

What do I like?

• Although I know this in tension with my previous comment, I like Sacagawea on the coin. I have always been fascinated by the Lewis and Clark expedition, and she get's high marks for carrying a baby the whole way and making other contributions to the trip.
• I like dollar coins in general. It works in Canada just fine. I think the U.S. just needs to stop making dollar bills.

In the next month I am going to experiment paying for most small purchases with dollar coins. So far I have to say it brought an unexpected smile to the face of the cafeteria workers at my company and the barista at my local espresso shop.