A Spork in the Drawer

Just A Thought

So I see that the second of the new one-dollar coins is to be released today. Featuring John Adams, the coins will then proceed to feature every one of the presidents in order (including Buchanan, Harding, Nixon, and George).

Disgraced and disastrous presidents aside, if the Treasury wants to raise money (and that's what this is about) why not move out of the presidency and feature, well, non-presidents? We could have a series that features other notable politicians, artists, writers, scientists, thinkers, even athletes.

Besides Benjamin Franklin, all of our currency and coins show presidents. The treasury should demonstrate that there's more to America than dead presidents.

Anyway, just a thought.

---

ADDED: In comments, "Fair and Balanced" Dave points out that the Sackagewea dollar coin is still being minted. I regret the omission.

.

An Excellent Suggestion

LTE:

Denote their value

I was intrigued by David M. Shribman's Dec. 24 column "Not All Presidents Deserve a Coin," about American presidents who deserve or don't deserve to have their portraits on our coins.

But separating the deserving from the undeserving might be too harsh a judgment. Instead, the presidents' merits could be represented by the denominations of the coins on which their likenesses appear. We have had dollar-worthy presidents, penny-worthy presidents and many nickel-, dime-, quarter- and half-dollar-worthy presidents in between.

I suggest that when George W. Bush's term is up, his image be engraved on the wooden nickel.

ROBERT L. WOLKE
Mount Washington

.