Thursday, March 27, 2008

THE NUMISMATIST

Do you recognize this?



No, its not one of those worthless Canadian coins. It is, in fact, one one of those worthless American coins, the Susan B. Anthony dollar. One of America's many failed attempts at trying to make the dollar go coin. In theory it had everything going for it…a funky hendecagon (11-sided) design, the first non-fictitious woman appearing on a U.S. coin, and the coin's obvious durability over the flimsy "paper" dollar. But in 1979 with nearly one billion printed, Susie B hit the streets and was a complete failure. Most people confused it with the quarter and spent it as such. So into the vault she went until the government figured out a way to dupe us all into using them by dispensing "Susie B" as change through transit, postal and vending machines. By 1998, the vaults were almost empty, so instead of calling it quits, like they should have done, they produced the equally hated "Sacagawea" dollar.

First of all, that is not Sacagawea. Its Randy'L He-dow Teton a Native American that posed as Sacagawea for the coin. This makes He-dow the first woman (the third person) known to appear on a US coin while still living, another being Calvin Coolidge. And second, it is not even gold, it is a cheap brass-colored coating that easily rubs off after minimal handling. Why can the Canadians get it right with their Loonie, and we can't? Good job U.S. Mint. Not surprisingly, the coin failed just like the Susie B coin had and just like the Eisenhower dollar coin had failed before that. Worst of all, He-dow still haunts me in vending machines to this very day.

However, if the government switched to the US coin dollar it would save $500 million in printing costs per year. But I say, "So what?" It doesn't make up for how annoying it is to carry around more change than absolutely necessary. And besides the dollar's obvious cocaine-junkie appeal, it does NOT fall out of your pockets like change easily does, that is of course if you keep dollars in your pockets, which you should if you wanna be a true gangsta!!!!!



AFTER THOUGHT:
If the US really wanted to put a woman on a dollar they should put her on a legitimate coin or bill, not the U.S.eless coin dollar.
Andrew Jackson, who is on the twenty dollar bill, was opposed to a National Bank, why would he be on a bill? Does Washington and Lincoln really need to be on both a coin and a bill? What did Grant do to be worth 50 Washingtons? Share the love America, share the bills.

5 comments:

sue said...

Eagle - what did the movie clip have to do with the Susan B. Anthony dollar?(Although I enjoyed it.) After seein dr.john's illicit drawings, it seemed like Entertainment Tonight! And how did Grant ever win two terms.

eagle said...

I think Mrs. Wallace was using a GW to snort that heroin. I couldn't get a good look though...but the message is don't do drugs. Nancy Reagan would be so proud.

Anonymous said...

I must respond to the eagles assertion that a true gangster keeps his cash in his front pocket. The only thing sweatier than a sacagawea in you pocket is a hand full of sweaty bills in your pocket. And gangsters do not like sweaty money.

To quote a great man:

"i handle my money like a man, wallet, bills in order from largest to smallest all facing the same way in the same orentation."

"when i get mixed changed i stand there and take a min to organize my &^%*% then i be out."

Clearly one can assume this man is infact a gangster by use of the phrase "be out" yet he likes his bills where they should be, in his wallet. I find his level of organization a bit extreeme but as I said this is a gangster so you let the man get himself organized as he wishes then "be out".

This is AB.

sue said...

Remember the Seinfeld episode when Jerry carried a European carry all and wore a fur coat?

eagle said...

"Hey Silvio, look at Jerry here, prancing around in his coat with his purse. Yup, he's a dandy. He's a real fancy boy!" Jerry was ridiculed, no way am I carrying a European carryall. Anyway cash will be obsolete within 10 years and there will be only credit cards and debt to hold onto.