Comments on: Dome-Shaped Naismith Memorial Basketball HOF Commemorative Coins Sought

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 08:46:05 +0000

The Royal Canadian Mint announced in their latest mail out that a special domed shaped colourized coin will be released to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the sport.

By: Munzen

Munzen — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 14:34:01 +0000

Zaz, Seth, Cincinnatus –
I’m in complete agreement. As Rocky might say: Yo, Mint! Enough awready!

By: Seth Riesling

Seth Riesling — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 17:53:34 +0000

Zaz & Cincinnatus –

You both have it right on point! People like you have my vote to serve on the U.S. Mint’s Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Great comments on the sometimes crazy coin design concepts/subject matter we get in recent years.

-NumisDudeTX

By: Zaz

Zaz — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 10:37:35 +0000

I’ll go with another slogan on a coin to be issued this year: just say no. Seriously it’s too soon after the BHOF coins to have an identical set of curved coins. They’re far too gimmicky and the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 2019 is vastly more important a milestone to miss than the Naismith achievement. For the latter perhaps in 2041 or 2044.

By: Seth Riesling

Seth Riesling — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 00:40:31 +0000

Cincinnatus –

I agree with you mostly. But due to a little thing called the U.S. Constitution, only Congress has all power over coinage issues. It would take an amendment to the Constitution to change that & I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I was surprised when Congress did delegate one of those powers of selecting coin designs to the Secretary of the Treasury a few years ago. But, they can take that delegated power away at any time. Write, call or e-mail your U.S. congresspeople at their Washington D.C. offices & let them know your concerns everyone. Believe me, it can change things. Congress stopped the old decades-long (1918 through 1954) commemorative silver half dollar programs because of too much corruption on the state coin selection committee level in coin designs favoring their states. We didn’t have ANY commemorative coins again after 1954 till the “modern” programs started in 1982 – a 28 year dry spell !
Just think about all the modern commemorative coin designs (even for foreigners) & yet no commemorative coin for the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Not even the powerful Black Congressional Caucus can get this done). What does that tell you about the process in Congress for coin legislation?!

-NumisDudeTX

By: Cincinnatus

Cincinnatus — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:20:01 +0000

With all of the other truly worthy things yhis country could honor, do we really need a coin to commemerate a multi-billion dollar corporation? Let the NBA fund their own tribute to themselves.

Honoring the MLB and NBA (I’m sure the NFL which seems to be hurting for money will be getting a coin soon) has the same stench about it as the coin programs of the 30’s.

The US commemerative coin program is off track and needs to end.

By: Seth Riesling

Seth Riesling — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 04:05:32 +0000

Bill W. –

The Apollo 11 50th anniversary commemorative curved 3-coin program legislation has not moved one bit since the day it was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in June 2015 & there seems to be no similar legislation in the Senate yet surprisingly. This subject matter is certainly one of the most significant milestones in USA history! Hopefully it will move on up soon on the legislative calendar.

-NumisDudeTX

By: jim

jim — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 01:39:55 +0000

I thought it was a great idea for America’s pastime and Naismith did invent the current game though I do remember seeing a similar ball in hoop court used for the ancient Greek games (yeah, I’m almost old enough to have been there) but now I have the feeling of “been there, done that” and not much excitement for another convex/concave commemorative coin. Maybe I’ll feel different in another 3 years but for right now, meh.

By: Seth Riesling

Seth Riesling — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 00:08:50 +0000

These would be popular commemorative coins for sure, but could be a slippery slope. The idea for the curved USA baseball coins came from a commemorative coin struck by the Monnaie de Paris (the official Mint of France) for the year of Astronomy & a congressman saw one & asked the Mint to copy its shape on a U.S. coin), The problem is that like the first code talkers Congressional Gold Medal made to honor Native American Indian code talkers (Navajo tribe) & the bronze replicas the Mint sells, it upset other tribes who wanted their own Congressional Gold Medal & bronze replicas & it wound up being a program of over 25 different gold & bronze medals just a few years ago.
Are we now going to have domed/curved/convex-concave commemorative coin programs for every sport? (tennis, football, soccer, hockey, ping pong etc.)?! This could open the floodgates for overproduction & lower values for any such coins. But, of course, as a long-time collector who bought all the 2014 baseball coins (the values are way down even for the gold coins now!) I am in on this program if offered. I am hooked on most commemorative coins for some strange reason!

Happy collecting everyone!

-NumisDudeTX

By: Bill W

Bill W — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 21:29:47 +0000

Any new developments on the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary coins you reported on last June? Would it be overkill to have both commemorative issues for the year to rely on the same gimmick?

http://www.coinnews.net/2015/06/18/apollo-11-50th-anniversary-commemorative-coins-proposed/