Elaine Lally Friel

To the editor,

This is a response to the letter, “Don’t accept any of the new U.S. coins lacking 'In God We Trust'", published on November 18, 2009.

In 2007, some George Washington dollar coins, the first of the Presidential $1 Coins series, left the U.S. Mint without “E Pluribus Unum” or “In God We Trust” on them. The mottos were to be inscribed along the thin edge of each coin. It is believed that these “Error Coins” (http://www.usmint.gov/consumer/index.cfm?flash=yes&action=hotitems#PresFraud) as the Mint refers to them, were made at the Philadelphia mint. Most coins in that first issue were properly inscribed. But, since many folks failed to even notice the mottos on properly inscribed coins, the mint has now moved “In God We Trust” to the front. “E Pluribus Unum” and the year of minting are now on the edge. The Presidential $1 Coins are now up to Zachary Taylor.

If the letter writer has a George Washington Presidential $1 Coin, one without the inscriptions, don’t refuse it and don’t throw it at some unknowing store clerk. Run with it. It is worth much more than the face value.

Sadly, some people are even filing the edges of the properly inscribed original issue and attempting to sell them as “Error Coins”.

There are many resources check out these types of problems before expressing outrage in the newspaper. Some national news sources didn’t do their homework either before making similar claims.

Elaine Lally Friel

Laconia