Washington Dollars – Collectible? Spendable? Both?

You can rightfully assume that the mint is more than casually interested in how well this coin does with collectors, and hopefully, with the public in general.

I’ve had some fun with the image above. Who better to “show us the money” than George Washington?

Washington is the president that every kid in school meets first. He was, of course, the first US president.

But his portrait has also been on the American one dollar bill since… well, forever it seems. (Actually he first appeared on paper money in the 19th century.)

However, that good old Washington dollar bill may be the biggest impediment to public acceptance of a dollar coin. Contemporary Americans are used to paper dollars. The government has tried dollar coins of several types over the last fifty years, none of which have widely circulated.

Admittedly the coin should not closely resemble any other circulating coin (as did, for example, the quarter-like Susan B. Anthony dollar of the late 1970’s.)

It should differ in size and color, and should be well advertised as something new and convenient. Canada is very good at all of this. With the Presidential dollars, the US government has, it would seem, also done a fine job of designing a coin sufficiently different from all others, supported with a strong marketing effort prior to and during the series launch.

But there’s one thing the Canadians have done that, so far, we haven’t. They have abolished their one dollar paper note. If you spend a dollar in Canada using only one piece of money – it’s a one dollar coin.

Presidential Theme

The obverse (front side) of the coin features a presidential portrait, his name above, the chronological sequence of his presidency, and the dates he held office. The designer’s initials are discreetly applied to the portrait.

Looking at the image of George Washington, as presented on this coin, collectors will remember that during his administration legislation was passed to establish the first US mint , define the precise metallic composition of US coins, and abolish the legal circulation of all foreign coins except the Spanish Milled Dollars so favored in the colonial period.

It is not hard to imagine that the first coin of the series, and those that will follow, will offer a good springboard for US history teachers across the land!