Another new Dollar coin?
Pardon me for not paying attention, but it seems that the US mint has decided to release yet another series of $1 coins on the heals of the wildly successful Sacagawea. Please excuse me if I don’t run right out and exchange all my paper dollars for coins, but haven’t I seen this show before?
Oh, but it is different this time. Following the path set by the state quarters, the mint will be releasing three new dollar coins a year, each depicting a different president. OK, I can accept that this might keep some collectors interested, but how does it address the fundamental problem with dollar coins? We know what that is, right? VENDING MACHINES!!
People could tell the difference between an SBA and a quarter, they just couldn’t use them anywhere! Sacagawea was resplendent in her shiny gold, she just couldn’t be used anywhere! Honestly, what can you use a dollar for at a checkout except to help make change? Unless the vending machine distributors have a compelling reason to accept dollar coins, this will fail just as miserably as a currency.
