U.S. Dollar: A Real Keeper
Americans are hoarding their new, gold-coloured, dollar
coin
Nickel magazine, Sep. 00 -- Sacagawea, a Shoshone native, with Jean Baptiste, her infant son
grace the obverse side of the new U.S. dollar coin. Her extensive knowledge of language, native plants and
the topography of the American northwest were invaluable to the expedition of Lewis and Clark between 1804
and 1806. Design by Glenna Goodacre.
The reverse side shows a soaring American bald eagle encircled by 17 stars -- one for each state in the union
at the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It was designed by Thomas D. Rogers, Sr.
An estimated 14 billion dollar coins have been produced by the U.S. Mint since November 1999. Minted at an estimated cost of just 12.5 cents, the Mint continues to crank the new coins out at a rate of 6 million a day, mainly to satisfy the American public's appetite for hoarding the gold colored coins. Very few are in circulation.
Each coin weighs 8.1 grams and contains 88.5% copper, 6.0% zinc and 2.0% nickel. Designed to have the same electromagnetic signature as the Susan B. Anthony Dollar it replaces, the coins also contain 3.5% manganese. They measure 2 millimetres thick and are 26.5 millimetres in diameter.
Extensive testing, by Corrosion Testing Labs of Newark, Delaware, has shown that this particular alloy combination not only gives the desired golden color, it also holds up well under heavy use and abuse that coins typically endure. But these coins may not, it appears, see heavy use.
Of more importance to hoarders is corrosion resistance. "We found that the nickel enhances the corrosion resistance of the coin," says Principal Corrosion Scientist Richard A. Corbett. "However, adding more nickel would have changed the color of the coin."
Photo: US MINT
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www.usmint.gov Richard A. Corbett |
