Chester A. Arthur To Get Face On Coin

In 2012, the U.S. Mint will put into circulation a $1.00 gold coin bearing the face of President Chester A. Arthur. This follows the successful (?) minting several years ago of gold dollars with the likenesses of Susan B. Anthony and Sacajawea. Could the mint be wasting its time and resources on coins that are used only for change out of stamp machines at the post office?

As a side note, for those of you who do not listen to Coast to Coast A.M. on late night radio, December 31, 2012, is the date that the Mayan calendar abruptly ended pointing the way, as some believe, to a real calamity for the earth. This will be the subject for a later post.

Back to the gold dollars. I carry two of them for good luck -- one with George Washington on the obverse and the Statue of Liberty on the reverse. The other is Sacajawea bearing hers and her child's likenesses on the front and a soaring eagle on the back. Neither of these I can determine has brought me luck -- at least not good luck. But if I am ever broke and hungry, I will have two dollars for one Krystal and a small coke -- hope they will take them and not refer me to the post office for stamps.

The point is what did President Arthur do to merit this honor? He came into office as a result of the untimely death of James Garfield amid a prethoria of scandal. If this is the criteria for ones face on a gold dollar, how about one of William Jefferson Clinton with Monica Lewinsky on the reverse? That could really make the gold bucks a big hit.

Are there no other American icons whom we could celebrate? How about Bill Gates since he owns most of the dollars in this country anyway? Perhaps Sam Walton who took a small Ben Franklin five and dime in Newport, Arkansas, and turned it into the multibillion dollar mega giant WalMart -- the place where one can visit China and never leave home.

There are other American presidents who should be considered for some recognition -- Ulysses S. Grant's face on one side and a key of whiskey on the other -- Calvin Coolidge pictured on one side, and the same picture on the other with a gag in his mouth (Silent Cal for those of you who are not students of history) -- William H. Taft's picture on the obverse, and a blank on the reverse (after he was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, he wrote, "I don't remember that I was ever President.") -- Andrew Jackson's picture on one side and a parrot on the other (it was reported that Jackson's pet parrot had to be removed for swearing at the ex-president's funeral) -- and a number of other presidents deserve the face on the coin honor, but you may be getting bored with this whole dribble.

Possibilities abound from the private sector for this high honor, with their likenesses on this piece of gold -- other citizens who have contributed so, so much to this country -- the likes of Sean Penn, Danny Glover, Jesse Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton -- you get the idea.

So I will be very excited, if we are all still here in 2012, and will rush to the post office, get some stamps out of the machine, reach for my change and hope that I get a Chester A. Arthur and not a Britney Spears.