Godless US Dollars Error Coins

George Washington on Obverse of New 2007 USA $1 Presidential Series

Edge Inscription on New 2007 USA $1 Presidential Series

Edge Inscription on New 2007 USA $1 Presidential Series

Golden dollars
By Lucy Sherriff
Published Thursday 8th March 2007 13:07 GMT

America is braced for a nationwide treasure hunt as the Philadelphia mint confirmed it had made a mistake when minting some of a new batch of dollar coins.
The coins were supposed to have the traditional "E Pluribus Unum" inscription, along with "In God We Trust" around the edges. But due to an unholy error, both inscriptions were left off. The mint was not able to say how many of the 300 million coins the error had affected, but issued a statement saying that it was taking the necessary steps to correct the defect.
"The United States Mint understands the importance of the inscriptions 'In God We Trust' and 'E Pluribus Unum' as well as the mint mark and year on US coinage. We take this matter seriously," it said.
"We also consider quality control a high priority. We are looking into the matter to determine a possible cause in the manufacturing process."
Coins with minting errors are always collectable, particularly when the run with the error is only small.
According to Reuters, one of the uninscribed coins has already sold on eBay for $405. Although that is already a nice return on the initial dollar "investment", hanging on to it for a while could pay huge dividends.
In 1922 a mistake in the minting process meant a number of one cent pieces were issued without a "D" for the Denver Mint they were stamped at. One of these coins would sell today for up to $10,000, according to Robert Hoge, curator at the Numismatic Society.

By JOANN LOVIGLIO, Associated Press Writer Wed Mar 7, 4:30 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA - An unknown number of new George Washington dollar coins were mistakenly struck without their edge inscriptions, including "In God We Trust," and are fetching around $50 apiece online.
The properly struck dollar coins, bearing the likeness of the nation's first president, are inscribed along the edge with "In God We Trust," "E Pluribus Unum" and the year and mint mark. They made it past inspectors and went into circulation Feb. 15.
The U.S. Mint struck 300 million of the coins, which are golden in color and slightly larger and thicker than a quarter.
About half were made in Philadelphia and the rest in Denver. So far the mint has only received reports of error coins coming from Philadelphia, mint spokeswoman Becky Bailey said.
Bailey said it was unknown how many coins lacked the inscriptions. Ron Guth, president of Professional Coin Grading Service, one of the world's largest coin authentication companies, said he believes that at least 50,000 error coins were put in circulation.
"The first one sold for $600 before everyone knew how common they actually were," he said. "They're going for around $40 to $60 on eBay now, and they'll probably settle in the $50 range."
Production of the presidential dollar entails a "new, complex, high-volume manufacturing system" that the mint will adjust to eliminate any future defects, the mint said in a statement.
"We take this matter seriously. We also consider quality control a high priority. The agency is looking into the matter to determine a possible cause in the manufacturing process," the statement said.
Guth said it appeared from the roughly 50 smooth-edge dollars he has authenticated that the problem had to do with quality control rather than a mechanical error.
"These coins are struck like normal coins, then they go through another machine that adds edge lettering in another process. These apparently skipped that process," he said. "We've seen a couple of instances where the edge lettering may be weak or indistinct, but we're not talking about that here."
The coin's design has already spurred e-mail conspiracy theories claiming that the religious motto was purposely omitted. That rumor may have started because the edge lettering cannot be seen in head-on photographs of the coin.
It is the first U.S. coin to have words stamped around the edge since the storied 1933 $20 gold "double eagle," among the rarest and most valuable in the world. In 2002, a 1933 double eagle was sold for $7.59 million - the highest price ever paid for a coin.
The Washington dollars are the first in a series of presidential coins slated to run until 2016. After Washington, the presidents to be honored on dollar coins this year will be John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
The 215-year-old Philadelphia mint, located downtown on Independence Mall, employs about 500 people and last year produced about 7.8 billion coins. The overwhelming majority of error coins are caught by inspectors and melted down.
Bailey said the striking of the Adams coin, expected to roll out in mid-May, will proceed as planned.
"We are adjusting the manufacturing process to try to eliminate the problems," she said.

New Presidential Dollars: 'Godless' Coins or History Lessons?
By Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor
March 09, 2007
(CNSNews.com) - The new one-dollar presidential coins have elicited a wide variety of reactions, with some experts criticizing them as "godless" and the legislators who promoted the new design praising them as "a great opportunity for educating both children and adults about the history of our country."
"I thought it was a slick move by the government to take it step-by-step but eventually not have 'In God We Trust' on the front or back of any coin," Troy Thoreson, president of Thoreson Numismatics in Los Banos, Calif., told Cybercast News Service on Thursday.
"When this story first started to develop from the U.S. Mint, I could see the writing on the wall," said Thoreson, whose primary expertise is in dealing with modern coins.
Not only would this be the first time since 1866 that the national motto would not appear on the front or back of American dollar coins, but there would also be some "godless coins" since a number of them would accidentally go through the stamping process without having "In God We Trust" imprinted on them, he noted.
"I find it a little hard to believe that when they were trying to figure out the front or the back of the new presidential dollar coins, somebody didn't bring up the fact that it was going to be odd to have 'In God We Trust' on the edge," Thoreson said.
On Feb. 15, the U.S. Mint began producing the new coins "in commemoration of each of the nation's past presidents and their spouses, respectively, to improve circulation of the $1 coin, to create a new bullion coin and for other purposes" according to the Presidential $1 Act of 2005.
"In order to revitalize the design of United States coinage," the law states, "it is appropriate to move many of the mottos and emblems, the inscription of the year, and the so-called 'mint marks' that currently appear on the faces of each circulating coin to the edge of the coin, which would allow larger and more dramatic artwork."
U.S. Reps. Mike Castle (R-Del.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) sponsored the bill in the House to create a new coin with "a regularly changing design, featuring the presidents of the United States in the order in which they served, with a new design every three months" on the front, and an image of the Statue of Liberty on the back.
"This legislation was born out of the success of the 50-state quarter program, which has made over $5 billion for the federal government," Castle said when introducing the bill on Feb. 17, 2005. "I believe this program is a great opportunity for educating both children and adults about the history of our country," he added.
"On one side, this will give a jump start to a coin program and bring billions to our treasury," Maloney noted. "On the flip side, it will teach history to students and collectors. Heads or tails, it's a win-win proposition."
The measure was approved on April 28, 2005, by a vote of 422 to six.
Nearly three weeks later, a similar bill was introduced in the Senate by Sens. John Sununu (R-N.H.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.). It was passed by unanimous consent on Nov. 18, and President Bush signed the measure on Dec. 22 of that year.
The law marks the third time Congress has attempted to supplement paper bills with coin dollars, which usually last longer in circulation. The Susan B. Anthony coin was authorized in 1979, and the Sacagawea dollar, which was first minted in 2000, depicts a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Neither coin has gained broad acceptance by the American public.
As Cybercast News Service reported earlier, the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm, is urging Americans to avoid using the presidential dollar coins altogether.
"It is astounding that Congress has effectively done what atheist litigants have been unsuccessfully trying to do for years - erase all reference to God from our money," said Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Law Center.
However, Douglas Mudd, curator of exhibitions for the American Numismatic Association, told Cybercast News Service on Thursday that "many countries use edge lettering as part of how they produce their coins," which "has been going on since the 17th century."
In fact, the practice isn't unprecedented in the U.S. either, "but it's born again because we haven't used edge lettering since 1932," Mudd noted.
Transferring text from the front or back of a coin to its edge "might be perceived [in America] as a diminishing of its stature because we're not used to edge lettering, but is it technically?" he asked. "It shouldn't be."
Thoreson disagreed. "It's like being the head coach and then being moved to the sidelines," he remarked.
Thoreson offered a suggestion to those who decide to boycott the new coins - boycott the earlier dollar coins too.
"If the U.S. populace really wants to make a statement here - because these coins have little or no numismatic value - what they should do is find any 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollars or any 2000 Sacagawea dollars they have laying around," Thoreson said.
"Take them to your bank and turn those in as a protest about not having 'In God We Trust' on the front or the back of the new coins," he said. "That will drive the government crazy, because the banks are going to send them right back to the Federal Reserve, which is trying to get rid of them.
"And if you're a collector, you just need three of these coins: one with the inscription printed properly, one with the inscription accidentally printed upside-down and one of those that have no inscription at all," Thoreson added. "Get your one example of each and take the rest back down to the bank."

'In God We Trust:' Our Money's Message for 141 Years
By Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor
November 16, 2005
(CNSNews.com) - Removing the motto "In God We Trust" from American currency would mark the end of a tradition that began during the Civil War to rescue the country from "the ignominy of heathenism" and was expanded in the 1950s to combat the philosophy of communism.
The target of atheist Michael Newdow's lawsuit is one of many phrases that have been printed on U.S. money since Congress in 1787 authorized the first American one-cent piece to display "Mind Your Business" on the front and "We Are One" on the back.
During the early 1800s, "E Pluribus Unum" ("Out of Many, One") was placed on coins by the U. S. Mint, though this was not mandated by law. David Lange, research director of the National Guaranty Corporation (NGC), told Cybercast News Service that the phrase was dropped during the 1830s because the mint director believed it was redundant with "United States of America."
According to the website of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the motto "In God We Trust" was first placed on United States coins "largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War."
While Treasury Secretary Salmon Chase received many appeals on the topic, the first was a letter sent on Nov. 13, 1861, by Rev. Mark Watkinson from Ridleyville, Pa., who proposed "the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins" even as the nation was being torn apart by internal conflict.
"What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction?" the Baptist minister asked in his missive. "Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation?"
He then suggested replacing "the goddess of liberty" on U.S. coins with a design that included an "all-seeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag," as well as the words "God, Liberty, Law."
"This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object," Watkinson added. "This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed."
A week later, Chase wrote to James Pollock, director of the Mint at Philadelphia, that "the trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins." Therefore, Pollock was instructed to "cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition."
In December of 1863, Pollock submitted designs to Chase for new coins with the mottoes "Our Country," "Our God" or "God, Our Trust." Chase responded that the phrase should read "In God We Trust," and Congress approved the design on April 22, 1864. Later that year, a two-cent piece became the first U.S. coin to carry the motto.
"Since then, the motto must appear on all silver and gold coins by law, this being extended to the base metal coins which have since replaced the silver issues," Lange of NGC said, even though "no law has ever been passed requiring its use on the minor coins (cents and nickels)."
That loophole came into play in 1883, when Chief Engraver Charles Barber chose to drop "In God We Trust" from his new design for the five-cent piece and bring back "E Pluribus Unum." "No official notice was made of this change, nor was there any public outcry," Lange said.
The next controversy regarding the motto came in 1907, when President Theodore Roosevelt commissioned sculptor Augustus St. Gaudens to prepare new designs for the gold eagle and double eagle, without the words "In God We Trust" because Roosevelt considered it sacrilegious to put the Lord's name on something as common as money.
However, when the new coins were released the following year, the public outrage was so great that not only did Congress order the motto restored, the Act of May 18, 1908, also made the phrase mandatory on all coins upon which it had previously appeared. "In God We Trust" was then added to the one-cent coin in 1909 and the 10-cent piece in 1916.
After 55 years, the motto returned to the nickel in 1938, when the phrase was included among the items specified in a design competition for a new coin featuring the images of Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. president, and his home in Monticello, Va.
"This decision was made by the Treasury Department, probably because the motto by then appeared on all of the other current coins," Lange noted, though he added that government officials probably remembered the incident in 1907.
'A single man with a determined mind'
While all U.S. coins have carried "In God We Trust" since 1938, the motto was not displayed on paper money -- which was introduced during the Civil War to temporarily replace coins in a metal shortage -- until Matthew Rothert gave an offering at a church service in 1953.
As Rothert dropped a bill into the collection plate, he noticed that it didn't display the same motto as the coins. He wondered why, especially since paper money had surpassed metal coins as the most common form of U.S. currency.
On Nov. 25, 1953, Rothert sent Treasury Secretary George Humphrey a letter noting that people in foreign countries, even those behind the communist Iron Curtain, were anxious to obtain the currency of the United States of America.
"President Eisenhower puts primary emphasis on religion and spiritual values," he wrote. "People abroad, as well as at home, should see and recognize this emphasis on our most popular medium of exchange, our paper money."
One of Humphrey's assistants responded to Rothert's letter, suggesting that such an action would best be taken by Congress. Undaunted, Rothert began writing hundreds of letters to senators, newspapers and even the president. As word of his campaign grew, he received support from a number of Christian organizations.
Eisenhower approved a joint resolution of Congress on July 30, 1956, declaring "In God We Trust" the national motto of the United States, and the phrase was first used on paper money in 1957, when it appeared on the one-dollar silver certificate.
"Through the persistent efforts, flood of letters and speeches made by Matt Rothert, the phrase 'In God We Trust' is now on all paper money currency of the United States," said Aaron Martin on the Arkansas Memory Project website.
"The bill that was passed helped keep our faith alive worldwide, but more importantly, it showed how a single man with a determined mind has the power to change some of the biggest things in the world," Martin added.

Press Releases and Public Statement.
February 20, 2007
United States Mint Launches First Presidential $1 Coin Products
WASHINGTON - The first product featuring the new Presidential $1 Coins became available at noon (ET) on February 15, 2007.
George Washington Presidential $1 Coin Bags and Rolls - bags of 250 coins and rolls of 25 coins - were available starting February 15. Bags and rolls of Presidential $1 Coins honoring John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison will be available later this year. Bags will sell for $319.95, and rolls will sell for $35.95.
The United States is honoring our Nation's past Presidents with circulating Presidential $1 Coins featuring their images in the order that they served, beginning with Presidents Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison in 2007. The United States Mint will mint and issue four Presidential $1 Coins per year, and each will have a reverse design featuring a striking rendition of the Statue of Liberty. The composition of the new Presidential $1 Coins will be identical to that of the Golden Dollar featuring Sacagawea.
The Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-145) seeks to revitalize the design of United States coins and return circulating coinage to its position as an object of aesthetic beauty in its own right. Accordingly, the new Presidential $1 Coins will feature larger, more dramatic artwork, as well as edge-incused inscriptions of the year of minting or issuance, "E Pluribus Unum," "In God We Trust" and the mint mark.
Customers can order the George Washington Presidential $1 Coin Bags and Rolls by using the United States Mint's secure website, www.usmint.gov, or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468). A shipping and handling fee of $4.95 per order will be added to all domestic orders.
Contact: Press inquiries: Michael White (202) 354-7222 Customer Service information: (800) USA MINT (872-6468)

March 7, 2007
A Statement from the United States Mint
The United States Mint has struck more than 300 million George Washington Presidential $1 Coins. We have recently learned that an unspecified quantity of these coins inadvertently left the United States Mint at Philadelphia without edge-lettering on them. It is unknown how many of these coins without inscriptions on the edge have been placed into circulation.
The United States Mint understands the importance of the inscriptions "In God We Trust" and "E Pluribus Unum," as well as the mint mark and year on U.S. coinage. We take this matter seriously. We also consider quality control a high priority. The agency is looking into the matter to determine a possible cause in the manufacturing process.
Production of the Presidential $1 Coin, with its unique edge-lettering, is a new, complex, high volume manufacturing system, and the United States Mint is determined to make technical adjustments to perfect the process. As we adjust this new process, we intend to eliminate any such defects.
Consistent with the agency's practice in such situations, the United States Mint has informed the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Treasury about this matter.
Contact: Press inquiries: Michael White (202) 354-7222 Customer Service information: (800) USA MINT (872-6468)

February 15, 2007
United States Mint Puts First Presidential $1 Coin Into Circulation
George Washington to be First in Historic Presidential $1 Coin Series
WASHINGTON - The United States Mint today released into circulation the new George Washington $1 Coin, the first in a series of $1 coins honoring former United States Presidents.
The George Washington $1 Coins are legal tender and can be used for commerce and collecting. All Presidential $1 Coins are designed to work in most coin machines, including parking meters and vending machines.
Modeled after the United States Mint's successful 50 State Quarters® Program, the Presidential $1 Coin Program will feature systematically rotating designs of former United States Presidents. The George Washington $1 Coin marks the first of four Presidential $1 Coins to be released this year, with John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to roll out later in 2007.
The United States Mint celebrated the debut of the George Washington $1 Coin with a special Presidential $1 Coin Exchange in New York City featuring a brigade of armored cars delivering the coins to Grand Central Terminal. The United States Mint is offering financial institutions and retail businesses nationwide free informational materials via www.usmint.gov/$1coin. Schools and educational organizations can also access lesson plans and other educational tools on the same webpage.
"Americans will soon be receiving Presidential $1 Coins in their change and will find them convenient to use at retailers, car washes and vending machines. I even suspect the tooth fairy will love leaving these beautiful coins under pillows," said United States Mint Director Edmund C. Moy. "The Presidential $1 Coins will also be educational. Like the 50 State Quarters Program, these coins will invigorate interest in American history."
Presidential $1 Coin Program
The Presidential $1 Coins are being introduced as a result of the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, which requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins honoring the United States Presidents in the order in which they served. According to a study commissioned by the United States Mint, about half of Americans surveyed said they are interested in collecting the Presidential $1 Coins - but according to Director Moy, their appeal does not end with collecting.
"Congress recognized that the 50 State Quarters Program showed how a systematically changing design can spark public interest in a circulating coin, and we're hoping to build on that success," Director Moy said.
Traditional Subjects, Unique Design
The designs of the coins are bold and dramatic. The traditional inscriptions of "E Pluribus Unum," "In God We Trust," the date and the mint mark are featured on the edge of the coins making the Presidential $1 Coins unique among today's circulating coins.
The new Presidential $1 Coins are identical in color and size to the Golden Dollar featuring Sacagawea, and have the same distinctive rim and tactile features to assist the visually impaired. The face of each coin will feature an original image of a former President and the years of his term of office. The reverse of the coin shows an image of the Statue of Liberty and the inscriptions "United States of America" and "$1."
Distributed through Banks and Other Financial Institutions
The United States Mint and the Federal Reserve System are working together closely to make it easier for businesses and the public to obtain the new coins as they are released. The Presidential $1 Coins will be shipped to banks and other financial institutions in rolls and small bags, unmixed with other dollar coins. For each new coin, banks may order and store the coins up to two weeks prior to the introduction so they will have supplies on hand on the release date. The coins will be available in unmixed rolls and bags for four weeks after the introduction of each design. When each new Presidential $1 Coin is released, the special ordering process begins again.
NEWS MEDIA ONLY: VIDEO AVAILABLE -- Satellite Feed of Presidential $1 Coin Exchange: Thursday, February 15, 1:30 - 1:45 PM ET - Coordinates: GA 26, Tr. 9, DL 3880V. Thursday, February 15, 7:30 - 7:45 PM ET - Coordinates: GA 25, Tr. 13, DL 3960V.
Presidential $1 Coin Release Schedule
Each President will be honored with a single $1 coin, regardless of the number of consecutive terms he served, except for Grover Cleveland, the only United States President to serve non-consecutive terms. He will be honored on two coins. No living former or current President can be honored on a coin.

Year	President	Years Served
2007	1 George Washington	1789-1797
	2 John Adams	1797-1801
	3 Thomas Jefferson	1801-1809
	4 James Madison	1809-1817
2008	5 James Monroe	1817-1825
	6 John Quincy Adams	1825-1829
	7 Andrew Jackson	1829-1837
	8 Martin Van Buren	1837-1841
2009	9 William Henry Harrison	1841
	10 John Tyler	1841-1845
	11 James K. Polk	1845-1849
	12 Zachary Taylor	1849-1850
2010	13 Millard Fillmore	1850-1853
	14 Franklin Pierce	1853-1857
	15 James Buchanan	1857-1861
	16 Abraham Lincoln	1861-1865
2011	17 Andrew Johnson	1865-1869
	18 Ulysses S. Grant	1869-1877
	19 Rutherford B. Hayes	1877-1881
	20 James A. Garfield	1881
2012	21 Chester A. Arthur	1881-1885
	22 Grover Cleveland	1885-1889
	23 Benjamin Harrison	1889-1893
	24 Grover Cleveland	1893-1897
2013	25 William McKinley	1897-1901
	26 Theodore Roosevelt	1901-1909
	27 William H. Taft	1909-1913
	28 Woodrow Wilson	1913-1921
2014	29 Warren Harding	1921-1923
	30 Calvin Coolidge	1923-1929
	31 Herbert Hoover	1929-1933
	32 Franklin Delano Roosevelt	1933-1945
2015	33 Harry S Truman	1945-1953
	34 Dwight David Eisenhower	1953-1961
	35 John F. Kennedy	1961-1963
	36 Lyndon B. Johnson	1963-1969
2016	37 Richard M. Nixon	1969-1974
	38 Gerald R. Ford	1974-1977

For more information on the new Presidential $1 Coins, go to www.usmint.gov/$1coin.
Contact: Press inquiries: Michael White (202) 354-7222 Customer Service information: (800) USA MINT (872-6468)