1美元硬币

[编辑] 發行剩下的銀元: 總務管理局拍賣

由於銀幣的笨重，它們一直極小流通，除了在美國西部(特別是在19世紀初的賭場，常用在賭桌和老虎機)。因此，那些銀幣多被運往在華盛頓的財政部庫房保存，為數有過億枚之多。

在1964年3月25日，財政部長宣佈銀元卷將不可再兌換銀元。之後，國會在1967年6月24日通過在1年內銀元卷仍可兌換銀元，但最後仍剩下3千袋(約3百萬枚)銀幣。總務管理局獲授權銷售這些銀幣，但5次銷售的反應也不好，仍留下過百萬枚銀幣。公眾指政府不應搞錢幣生意賺錢。

在1979年情況逆轉了，因為貴金屬市場興旺，引致銀幣的銷售變得熱烈。在1980年1月2日，總務管理局宣佈改以價高者得的形式拍賣。

[编辑] 艾森豪威爾1元 (1971至1978年)

主条目：Eisenhower Dollar

From 1971 to 1978, the U.S. Mint issued dollar coins with the obverse depicting Dwight D. Eisenhower and the reverse the insignia of the Apollo 11 moon landing, both designed by Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro. The 1976 Bicentennial commemorative design, produced in 1975 and 1976, featured the Liberty Bell and the Moon on the reverse (designed by Dennis R. Williams), while retaining the Eisenhower obverse. The Eisenhower dollars contained no silver or gold, but were instead composed of the same copper-nickel clad composition used for the dime, quarter, and half dollar. This made the coins extremely resistant to wear and, like the smaller denominations, they still retain a good deal of shine even when subject to mass usage.

The coins were never very popular, primarily due to their large size and weight which made them inconvenient to carry and the fact that very few vending machines were designed to accept them. They saw the greatest use in casinos, and one-dollar tokens in United States casinos still approximate the size and weight of the coins. Prior to the withdrawal of the coins, which remain legal tender, many casinos did not strike their own tokens, but instead used the Eisenhower dollar.

[编辑] Anthony dollar (1979–1981; 1999)

主条目：Susan B. Anthony dollar

For the short duration of 1979 to 1981, the Mint produced Anthony Dollars, depicting Susan B. Anthony, the first non-fictitious woman portrayed on circulating US coinage. (Many earlier circulating coins featured images of women, but the women depicted were all non-specific representations of Liberty. Spain's Queen Isabella was portrayed along with Christopher Columbus on the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition commemorative half dollar, but it was not a circulating coin.) The Anthony dollars, like the Eisenhower dollars, were made from a copper-nickel clad. The 1981 coins were issued for collectors only, but occasionally still show up in circulation.

Susan B. Anthony dollar coins were sometimes referred to as "Carter quarters". This was a snide reference to both the deterioration of the value of the dollar during Jimmy Carter's term and the Anthony dollar's strong physical resemblance to the quarter, often causing it to be mistakenly spent as such. They were quickly discontinued, but were resurrected in 1999 when the Mint decided its reserves of dollar coins were getting low (and the Sacagawea dollar was still a year away from production). While reserves of the coins were initially high, the coins were in demand to be used as change in vending machines, most often in transit systems and post offices.

[编辑] 薩卡加維亞1元 (2000年至多)

主条目：Sacagawea dollar

The Sacagawea dollar was authorized by Congress in 1997 because the supply of Anthony dollars, in inventory since their last mintage in 1981, was soon expected to be depleted. Delays in ramping up Sacagawea dollar production led to a final 1999-dated mintage of Susan B. Anthony dollars. As predicted by Coin Coalition representatives at Congressional hearings on the United States $1 Coin Act of 1997, the government's failure to eliminate the U.S. one dollar bill prevented the Sacagawea dollar from being widely circulated. While dollar coins are used infrequently in general commerce, they are used in place of tokens in some areas and are given as change in many United States Postal Service stamp vending machines, creating a relatively small but significant demand.

The obverse was designed by artist Glenna Goodacre, using Shoshone Randy'L He-dow Teton as a model for Sacagawea.^[2]

There are approximately 1 billion Sacagawea coins in circulation and about 250 million more in reserve. The United States Mint greatly reduced production of Sacagawea dollars after the 2001 minting, citing sufficient inventory. As of 2006, the dollar is still being minted for collectors, and is available in Uncirculated Rolls, Mint Sets, and Proof Sets, but has not been released for general circulation since 2001.

The Mint took great care to create the coin with the same size, weight, and electromagnetic properties as the Anthony dollar, but with a golden color. Unfortunately, the selected alloy has a tendency to tarnish quite severely in circulation (unlike Canadian dollar coins, which retain their yellowish appearance in circulation), ruining the "golden" effect. This was corrected in 2007, when Sacagawea dollars started receiving the same treatments to prevent tarnish that were applied to the presidential dollar coins (see below).

As of 2006, dollar coins are seldom encountered in commerce in the United States, except in vending machines dispensing tickets, tokens, or cards for rides on mass transit in or near large cities (which offer the coins as change from a $5 or larger bill where necessary) and at some casinos, where they are used in slot machines. They are also given as change in U.S. Postal Service stamp vending machines at post offices and elsewhere. However, the Sacagawea dollar has achieved popularity in Ecuador, where the US dollar is also the official currency.

[编辑] Presidential Dollar Coin Program (2007–)

主条目：Presidential $1 Coin Program

In December 2005, Congress decided to create a new series of $1 coins which will honor the former U.S. Presidents. Beginning in 2007, four new coins will be produced per year, honoring the Presidents in order of service. (Grover Cleveland will be on two coins, since he served two non-consecutive terms.) The Presidential $1 Coin Act is intended to create renewed interest in the coin like that seen during the 50 State Quarters program.^[3] At least one third of all dollar coins produced are still Sacagawea coins, with the remaining coins making up the four Presidential coins annually. Under federal law (31 U.S.C. § 5112), no coins may be issued featuring a living President, or a President who died less than two years earlier. The program will run until at least 2016 with the coin commemorating Ronald Reagan, but may continue longer depending on the longevity of the currently living former Presidents, and the longevity of the current President or Presidents yet to be elected.

The Presidential dollar coin is similar in size and color to the Sacagawea, but bears no inscription on the obverse (or face) side. "In God We Trust", "E Pluribus Unum", the issue year, and the mint mark appear on the edge.^[4] The fact that these national mottos appear on the edge has caused some conservative commentators to decry the designs.^[5][6] The first dollar, honoring George Washington, was released into circulation on 15 February 2007.

A common^[7] minting error on this coin is the omission of the edge lettering; instead, the outside edge of the coin is plain. Because the omission includes the words "In God We Trust", some in the popular media have dubbed it the "godless" coin. A false (although at one time widely reported) error is the report that the edge lettering is upside down. The edge lettering does not occur at the same time as the minting of the coins, allowing for the natural occurrence of the lettering in either orientation.

[编辑] 設計列表

• Silver dollar coins
  • Flowing Hair 1794–1795
  • Draped Bust 1795–1803
    • Draped Bust, Small Eagle 1795–1798
    • Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle 1798–1803, 1804 (not a regular issue)
  • Gobrecht Dollar 1836–1839
  • Seated Liberty 1840–1873
    • Seated Liberty, No Motto 1840–1865
    • Seated Liberty, With Motto 1866–1873
  • Trade Dollar 1873–1878, 1879–1885 Proof Only
  • Morgan Dollar 1878–1904, 1921
  • Peace Dollar 1921–1935
    • Peace Dollar (High Relief) 1921
    • Peace Dollar (Low Relief) 1922–1928, 1934–1935

• Gold dollar coins
  • Liberty Head (Small Size) 1849年–1854年
  • Indian Head (Large Size) 1854年–1889年
    • Small Indian Head 1854年–1856年
    • Large Indian Head 1856年–1889年

• Copper-nickel clad dollar coins
  • Eisenhower Dollar 1971–1974, 1977–1978
    • Eisenhower Bicentennial 1975–1976 (all dated 1976)
  • Susan B. Anthony dollar 1979–1981, 1999

• Manganese-Brass dollar coins
  • Sacagawea Dollar 2000年–至今
  • Presidential Dollar Coin Program 2007年–至今

[编辑] 參看

• United States Mint coin production

[编辑] 參考資料

[编辑] 書籍及文章

[编辑] 網站資料

[编辑] 外部連結

• Pictures of United States dollar coins
• Comprehensive United States coin reference
• United States Small Size Dollar Coins, 1979-Present
• US Dollar Virtual Coin Museum
• United States Mint

• zh-hans:“;zh-hant:「New coins will depict dead former presidentszh-hans:”;zh-hant:」，The Boston Globe，December 14, 2005． 
• zh-hans:“;zh-hant:「Dollar coin series will feature presidentszh-hans:”;zh-hant:」，USA Today，December 15, 2005．