New Braille Coin for 2009
 

http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_...905x1200233646
click above to view coin

Braille-Stamped Silver Dollar Unveiled
By ANABELLE GARAY,AP
Posted: 2008-07-03 08:10:13
Filed Under: Money
DALLAS (July 2) - Officials unveiled the prototype of the first U.S. coin with readable Braille characters on Wednesday - a silver dollar commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, the creator of the alphabet for the blind.


Photo GalleryTony Gutierrez, AP Making Change1 of 7 United States Mint Director Ed Moy holds a large prototype of a silver dollar coin to be issued next year in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, the creator of the raised alphabet for the blind.

The coin's display opened the National Federation of the Blind's annual convention in Dallas.

"This is going to put Braille in front of people in a very dramatic way," said Chris Danielson, a federation spokesman.

U.S. Mint director Ed Moy, federation president Marc Maurer and U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions revealed the design of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar in front of about 1,000 people at an outdoor plaza.

The heads side of the silver dollar depicts Louis Braille with the word "Liberty" above it.

On the back of the coin, the Braille code for the word Braille - or "Brl" - is inscribed, above a depiction of a school-age boy reading a Braille book with a cane resting on his arm. Behind him is a bookshelf bearing the word "Independence."

"It really expresses the hopes, the dreams and the independent spirit," NFB Executive Director Mark Riccobono said of the design.

While all coins distributed by the U.S. Mint are distinguishable to the blind by their size and weight, the Braille silver dollar is the first to have Braille characters that can be read, Moy said.

The commemorative 1-ounce coin will be available in spring 2009, the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille's birth. The U.S. Mint will produce 400,000 of the coins. Braille was born in France in 1809.

A $10 surcharge will be added to each coin, with money from the coin sales going to support programs to help the blind.

The group is launching one of the largest campaigns to boost Braille literacy by doubling the number of young Braille readers by 2015. Fewer than 10 percent of blind children are learning Braille, NFB officials said.


Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

Uhm, how is this going to put "braille in front of people in a very dramatic way"? Do they really expect it to circulate?! The only people that are going to even know about it are the few coin collectors and people involved in the blind industry.

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

+1 .... that is a ridiculous statement.

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

Why did they put a picture on it?

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

http://www.coinfacts.com/silver_doll...dollar_obv.jpg


This problem was solved long ago, if dollars were still silver, heavy, and not gutted by inflation, there would be no "Problem" for the blind.

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

The is just more wasting of tax dollars.



T

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

More PC crap running amuck!
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x.../PC-Grinch.jpg

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

That's classic!! Good job squexx!!

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

This is true, because absolutely no one on planet Earth, including inmates of all insane asylums, will accept Federal Reserve Notes or other American paper "money" by the time this coin is out.

I'm all for minting $200 billion worth of these Silver coins with Braille. :emotions16:

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

sooo. i didn't see in the article whether or not this is an actual 1tOz Ag coin, or whether it is 'silver' like the sacagawea is 'golden'.
with a $10 'surcharge' to a $1 coin..... that would definitely put it in front of ME in a big way! $11 silver? can't be...

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

It sounds like a "commemorative"; I think those are usually 90% silver.

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

hm...still seems like it would be below spot though?
would it be bad form to buy a bunch of their brand new commemorative coins and immediately have them melted down?:bear_whistle:

Re: New Braille Coin for 2009
 

They aren't one ounce coins. They are 26.73 grams at 90%, which is about 3/4 ounce of silver. Current Bald Eagle uncirculated commemorative goes for about 38 bucks.


Bald Eagle Silver Dollars

Weight: 26.730 grams nominal
Diameter: 1.500 inches (� 0.003 inches)
Composition: 90% silver, 10% alloy
Mintage Limit: 500,000 (across all product options)

P.S. Yes, that would be bad form!