Why are they making new coins?

weighit · Apr 22, 2011

Just opened my weekly 2 boxes and saw many new 2010, 50 cent coins, Why? Seems to me they are never used in regular change at any of the stores I shop in. There has to me billions of them in various vaults across the country sitting unused, except for us hunters that order then, check them and then return them. Seems like a huge waste of government money to make something unneeded.

Diggin-N-Dumps · Apr 22, 2011

I would happy with a few of those..I know they sell for a slight bit more then face value..But you are right it does seem like a waste to keep making them..

brendan1414 · Apr 22, 2011

because it only costs them 13 cents to mint it, and its WORTH 50 cents ;] a good money maker, the only one better would be those dollar coins...

Diggin-N-Dumps · Apr 22, 2011

brendan1414 said:
because it only costs them 13 cents to mint it, and its WORTH 50 cents ;] a good money maker, the only one better would be those dollar coins...

the only good thing about the dollar coins are the fact that they are starting to find up alot while Metal Detecting :thumbsup:

LiquidAsset · Apr 22, 2011

The 2010 Kennedy Half Dollar were not issued for circulation. However, as the United States Mint has done since 2002, the coins were produced in limited quantities for direct sale to collectors.

http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/?action=press_release&ID=1098

mlayers · Apr 22, 2011

I also have wonder why they keep making the coins that they do. Just like the dollar coin if they want us to use it then they should just quit making the dollar bill so that way we would have to use the dollar coin. The coin last 10X longer then the dollar bill so it make since for us to use the coin instead of the bill. When you get the half's keep some out and use them to put them into circulation. I use them for gas and when I stop to buy a drink and snack at the store. You should see the people faces when you hand them 4 or 5 half's.....Matt

Tuberale · Apr 22, 2011

You make a compelling point, Matt.

I know locally $ Presidential coins are used often for parking meters and buses locally. Don't really see them otherwise.

TooManyHobbies · Apr 22, 2011

I picked up a 2011 Sacagawea today. I didn't even know they were still making them. The (young) teller also asked if I wanted some "old" half dollars.

, I forgot that anything before 1990 is old to a young lady. :laughing7:

No keepers. :'(

clovis97 · Apr 22, 2011

I just wish that the powers to be would start pushing the Kennedy half as much as they push the new gold dollars.

Just think about it...if they ask the major retailers to start distributing the half dollar, they would be used more in circulation, instead of just going from a dump bag into the next skunk box.

I like having half dollars to spend. They are easy and fast to use. Cashiers enjoy getting them.

I wish they would increase the mintage of halves, and start pushing them at major retailers.

cdickrun64 · Apr 22, 2011

Now that the "last" of the Kennedy clan , Teddy has passed, i would expect that the Kennedy Half will be phased out, and replaced by the Ronald Reagan Half.

FingerGrime · Apr 22, 2011

I don't see much future for halves, but I think we should (and will) definitely use dollar coins more often.
Also, since the mint sells the nifcs for ridiculous premiums, they are actually making more than just 50 cents minus the cost to make them.

SFBayArea · Apr 23, 2011

cdickrun64 said:
Now that the "last" of the Kennedy clan , Teddy has passed, i would expect that the Kennedy Half will be phased out, and replaced by the Ronald Reagan Half.

I hope not.. but with Koch Bros and Fox News and the Citizens United decision doing all they can.. it wouldn't surprise me. Don't be bought out by these people.

No offense to Reagan but I don't want to see some wrinkled old man on the coin.

I actually liked Reagan but I just find that the GOP now take his ideas to an extreme. No, do not take away Medicare! End the wars and make millionaires pay more taxes period.

Stang1968 · Apr 23, 2011

Congress has passed several laws mandating that the Mint produce coins no one uses such as the Sacagawea and Presidental dollar series. They will never circulate well until the BEP stops producing $1 bills.
Canada successfully introduced their $1 coin in 1986...and their $2 coin in the 90's, but only after stopping the printing presses for the $1 and $2 bills.
Back in 2001, I made a trip up to Creston, BC to tour the Columbia Brewery, and stopped at a local bank to exchange currency. I also took with my all my Canadian CRH finds that were non-silver. I also had a 1973 $1 bill that I redeemed- The teller looked at me and asked where I had gotten it. I told her I had been holding on to it for years, and she then asked if I was sure I wanted to turn it in. It was worth nothing to me, so of course I said yes. Apparently she hadn't seen a $1 bill in quite a long time, so she was all excited. Probably bought it from her till when she got off work that day.

65gt350 · Apr 23, 2011

mlayers said:
I also have wonder why they keep making the coins that they do. Just like the dollar coin if they want us to use it then they should just quit making the dollar bill so that way we would have to use the dollar coin. The coin last 10X longer then the dollar bill so it make since for us to use the coin instead of the bill. When you get the half's keep some out and use them to put them into circulation. I use them for gas and when I stop to buy a drink and snack at the store. You should see the people faces when you hand them 4 or 5 half's.....Matt

The Federal Reserve will never allow the dollar bill to die. They would rather pay ~.05 for the paper dollar to the BEP instead of $1 to the US Mint for a $1 coin since the coin is an obligation of the US Treasury. I think this is what Kennedy was trying to do with the US Notes of the 60's. The US Notes were a US Treasury obligation versus a Federal Reserve Note.

HH,
65GT350

treasurefiend · Apr 23, 2011

heck I wish they would start makin $2.5, $5, $10, & $20 coins again. Not for CRH'ng but for easy MD'g $$$

Tector · Apr 24, 2011

I too like spending my halves. The other day I gave this teenage girl 5$ worth. She says to me,"what are these_what are they worth"! Probably could have told her its a fifty dollar piece.

kb4iqm · Apr 24, 2011

Tector said:
I too like spending my halves. The other day I gave this teenage girl 5$ worth. She says to me,"what are these_what are they worth"! Probably could have told her its a fifty dollar piece.

Yea, I get that a lot when I'm travelling anywhere away from here. The local stores and resteraunts around here are now pretty much used to getting halves from me.

quiksilver · Apr 26, 2011

Stang1968 said:
Congress has passed several laws mandating that the Mint produce coins no one uses such as the Sacagawea and Presidental dollar series. They will never circulate well until the BEP stops producing $1 bills.
Canada successfully introduced their $1 coin in 1986...and their $2 coin in the 90's, but only after stopping the printing presses for the $1 and $2 bills.
Back in 2001, I made a trip up to Creston, BC to tour the Columbia Brewery, and stopped at a local bank to exchange currency. I also took with my all my Canadian CRH finds that were non-silver. I also had a 1973 $1 bill that I redeemed- The teller looked at me and asked where I had gotten it. I told her I had been holding on to it for years, and she then asked if I was sure I wanted to turn it in. It was worth nothing to me, so of course I said yes. Apparently she hadn't seen a $1 bill in quite a long time, so she was all excited. Probably bought it from her till when she got off work that day.

explains why i score so many 1 n 2 dollar canadian coins in the coin machine