Lee Metcalf: “In 1997, Congress passed long overdue legislation to place in circulation a new $1 coin. Congress required that the new…”

“In 1997, Congress passed long overdue legislation to place in circulation a new $1 coin. Congress required that the new coin have a different edge, design, and color than the unsuccessful Susan B. Anthony $1 coin. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with Congress, was required to select the design for the new $1 coin. The U.S. Mint conducted an extensive public outreach program in selecting the final coin design. This included public hearings, broadcast on C-SPAN, focus groups, public coin design exhibits, extensive print media requests for comments, and over 130,000 letters, faxes, and e-mails. The result is simply outstanding. The new coin is golden in color with a smooth edge, and on the face of the coin is a picture of Sacajawea, the Native American woman who aided the Lewis and Clark expedition. The public's demand for the new Sacajawea golden dollar is unprecedented. Since its release January 26, 300 million golden dollars have been purchased. In 14 weeks, there will be 500 million golden dollars in circulation. It took the Susan B. Anthony dollar 14 years to create the demand for 500 million coins. I commend the U.S. Mint for this incredible success in proving that the public truly does want a dollar coin. To meet this enormous demand for the new coin, the United States Mint has done a terrific job of accelerating their production and shipment.”