I'm thrilled to note that, in recent years, the powers who get to decide
which commemoratives are minted have broadened their list of acceptable
topics. I hope the trend continues. In my view, a nation's coins should tell
us something about the people who spend them. Could anyone examine a
collection of Ancient Greek coinage and not conclude that this was a diverse
and interesting populace?
If a type set of modern United States Commemoratives were transported to
beings in another galaxy what could they learn? At a glance, they might
conclude Americans are particularly fond of one type of bird. And they have
some pretty impressive buildings, too; probably temples of some sort.
Earthlings get very involved in sports every four years, don't they? And
they still occasionally go to war. Strange how Americans seem to favor one
gender over the other.
Of course, I'm not suggesting we create commemorative coins with the
intention of distributing them in space, though I wouldn't miss a few issues
if their entire mintages were sent there. What I'd really like to see is
more attention paid to arts and science, though I'd resist the temptation of
increasing sales through the selection of personalities from pop culture. I
appreciate Elvis and Bugs Bunny as much as the next guy, but would prefer
attention for those who've made more significant contributions to our
civilization and culture. Albert Einstein and Ernest Hemingway come to mind.
Based on the popularity of the State Quarters, proposals for other
circulating commemorative issues are certain to proliferate like rabbits.
Maybe our next series will depict some Americans of accomplishment outside
the realm of war, sports, and politics. Perhaps medicine, education and
business?
