Читать книгу Coin Collecting For Dummies - Neil S. Berman - Страница 30

In what was perhaps the biggest and most expensive advertising campaign ever for a new coin, the U.S. Mint introduced a new $1 coin in 2000. The new dollar (shown in Figure 2-5) featured the Native American guide Sacagawea and her infant son on the front, and an eagle on the back. To make the coin distinctive, the edge was left flat and plain, and the entire coin was struck from an alloy the color of gold. In a stroke of genius, the U.S. Mint contracted with Walmart stores throughout the country to distribute the new coins in limited quantities. Banks received very few of the coins, creating the false impression that the new coins were rare. In fact, billions of the Sacagawea dollars have been produced, so they’ll never be rare, but try to find one at your local bank or retail store. On top of that, many people thought the coins were made of real gold!

FIGURE 2-5: The 2000 Sacagawea dollar.

The public gobbled up these coins like crazy and locked them away in their sock drawers and safe-deposit boxes. Many of these hoarders have discovered the joys of numismatics and are now actively involved in collecting other coins as well.