Letters to the Editor – October 31, 2023

World Silver Bullion an Enjoyable Collecting Area

Thanks for finally putting into Numismatic News an article on silver bullion coins (Mark Benvenuto’s Beyond the Mainstream, Oct. 10 issue). That is one category that my wife and I have been collecting for years now and greatly enjoy. We haven’t been detailed enough to try for every issue of any particular series, although we do have our favorites.

Mine are the Australian “K’s,” that is to say, Kangaroo, Koala and Kookaburra. Like the Chinese pandas, a different design each year, always “cute” at least, if not always beautiful. Also, Panda most years and a broad swath of other examples, depending on what catches our eye. Always popular are Lunar New Year issues.

Pandas are attractive because, like American Eagles, they increase in value beyond the bullion value.

One thing that constitutes a minor irritation for me is the ubiquitous presence of the British monarch. Hey, a coin has two sides. On the Aussie coins, one of those sides is always the same – boringly so. British friends don’t all agree with me, but that’s life.

Anyway, thanks for the article, and don’t forget these beautiful coins.

Jim Burnell, Golden, Colo.

Nation’s History Dictates Inclusion of ‘In God We Trust’

Patrick A. Heller’s article asking if it is worth discussing if “IN GOD WE TRUST” should be removed from our coins (Sept. 26 issue) is a worthy discussion – particularly in these times of “Cancel Culture” and the deliberate destruction of what holds us together as a free people and as a civil society: everything “woke.” If we remove that motto, we might as well remove the word “Liberty” as well; they go hand in hand. This discussion should be predicated by history, however, and not a poll taken by some organization calling itself the “College Pulse.”

That history starts with this fact. Our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain states that “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.” This statement, which sparked the United States of America into existence, is unique and exceptional in the history of the world. This is a point-blank statement that our rights do not come from the government, they do not come from a monarchy or an emperor, and they do not come from any one individual. That is, our rights come from our creator – God – and as such, our rights cannot be taken from us.

First, teach our children in 9th-grade Civics class that history, as well as the Preamble and the Articles of our Constitution, then go from there. Quit teaching our children that our great nation’s founding is a fraud and that we are evil by our very existence.

George Kissinger, Address withheld