Giving a boost to new silver dollar

Yesterday the American Veterans Disabled for Life coins were put on sale by the U.S. Mint. Proofs are priced at $39.95 and uncirculateds are $35.95 until March 29, when the pre-issue discount ends.

More interesting to me, and perhaps no one else, was that there was an event on Capitol Hill to help call attention to the new coins.

It was at the Russell Senate Office Building from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mint Director Ed Moy was among those in attendance.

Now I would expect Director Moy to attend a coin function. It is his job. More importantly, it is great to see a little bit of attention paid to coins by members of the legislative branch after the legislation has been passed into law.

This event in effect was a coin promotion, and promotion is something that every coin issue needs to one degree or another.

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s when commemorative coinage bills were running out of control, Congress simply authorized them without regard to how they would impact the hobby in the long run and let the programs fend for themselves.

What a nice change last night’s event was.

Let’s hope we see more of this kind of thing.