The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 33, August 19, 2007, Article 29

WILL NEW PRESIDENTIAL DOLLARS HELP EDUCATE AN IGNORANT AMERICAN PUBLIC?

This week an Associated Press story noted that "Most folks can correctly
name George Washington as the nation's first president. After that,
things get tricky.  The U.S. Mint is hoping its new dollar coin series
will help refresh some hazy memories of Adams, Jefferson and all the
rest.

"That could be a tall order, however, given the results of a poll the
Mint commissioned to find out just how much knowledge Americans have
about their presidents.

"According to the telephone poll, conducted by the Gallup Organization
last month, nearly all those questioned knew that Washington was the
first president. However, only 30 percent could name Thomas Jefferson
as the nation's third president, and memories of the other presidents
and where they fit in was even more limited.

"Mint Director Edmund Moy believes the new dollar coin series will be
an antidote for that. And he can cite a good precedent. The Mint's
50-state quarter program, the most popular coin series in history,
has gotten 150 million Americans involved in collecting the quarters
that are honoring the states in the order they were admitted to the
Union.

"Moy released the survey results at the Jefferson Memorial on
Wednesday at an event staged to publicize the release of the new
$1 Jefferson coin. That coin will go into circulation nationwide
on Thursday, the day that people will be able to visit their banks
to purchase it."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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