European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 12, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 12. 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 Susan  Coin caused mint of trouble gis in Europe like . Public would t buy it  Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington Stella  Hackl must know what Susan  Anthony went through. Ten years ago Hackl. The director of the . Mint under then president Carter found that getting the Public to accept a new Coin the Susan  Anthony Dollar was As Tough As any tight for women s rights the 19th-Century suffragist Ever waged. Within Days of the Coin s debut injury 1979, Hackl was defending it against charges that it was too much like a Quarter too Bulky in a pocket or just Loo much trouble to Deal with. Months later she still was predicting Success for the Coin the first . Currency to feature a real woman rather than a mythical female figure symbolizing Liberty. But As the criticism reached firestorm proportions Hackel reached the end of her rope regarding the comparisons of the Susie b., As it became known and the 25-cent piece. Faced with yet another such Media query Hackl who has left government service and could not  located yanked a Susie  And a Quarter from her purse and shouted look they re not alike they re not despite such theatrics the Public would t bite opting instead to give the Coin the unanimous Raspberry that consigned it to the country s currency junkyards the three . Mints and 12 Federal Reserve Banks. Hackel s dilemma was fuelled  the mint itself which was stinging from a recent disaster with the Eisenhower Silver Dollar loathed because of its Large size and heavy weight. Seeking to distance the Susie  From the Ike officials went out of their Way to show that the new Coin was no bigger than. Well a Quarter. The $ 1 Coin is Only 9 percent greater in diameter than a Quarter said a mint fact Sheet at the time. But despite spending $600,000 on a marketing Campaign to familiarize the Public with the Coin mint officials soon found that people Felt just As ornery about coins that Are too much like quarters As about those that Are too big and Bulky. The Susie  Never gained a foothold. Nine months after its debut 750 million had been produced. But 450 million were in government vaults not in circulation. Unwilling to admit defeat and desperate to get anyone to use at least some of the coins the Treasury department came up with the idea of keeping the Susie  Alive  encouraging its use among a captive clientele the . Military in Europe.  Stella Hackel discusses the Susan  Anthony Coin left at the suffragist s Rochester , Home in july 1979. Ron ado Phi with the office of financial services policy under the Pentagon comptroller said files on the Susie  Fiasco Long since have been buried in permanent storage but he was Able to find a two Page Handwritten memo detailing a meeting Between officials of the defense and Treasury departments in april 1980. Treasury officials made n formal pitch to get the Pentagon to take a relatively modest chunk of the inventory 7.7 million coins for circulation in military communities in Europe Adolphi said. The Pentagon had doubts but the plan went ahead. In july 1980, the military announced that it would cease using $ 1 Bills overseas within 18 months to encourage use of the Susie  But that provoked such a backlash  in Europe that word soon reached William Proxmire then a democratic senator from Wisconsin who charged that the Susie  Hurt military personnel abroad because foreign Banks offered less in Exchange for the coins than for greenbacks and Banks in some countries would t touch the coins at All. Less than a month later. Then Secretary of defense 1 Larold Brown conceded that the Coin was causing a morale problem and announced that both Bills and Susan  Coins would continue to  circulated in Europe to offer customers a  almost no one chose the Susie  One reason it fared poorly in West Germany Adolphi said was that it was similar in size not Only to the Quarter but also to the 2-Mark piece news that did nothing to lift Hackel s spirits. The army As executive Agency for distributing the coins in Europe now was faced with footing the Bill for shipping them Back to the states once they were rejected. But the service was Able to strike a canny Deal with the Treasury which was experiencing a shortage of pennies at the time said Mary Hardin a spokeswoman for the army finance and accounting Center in Indianapolis. The army would phase out pennies in military Banks in Europe and return them for stateside use if the Treasury also would take Back the Dollar coins and pay for the entire shipment Hardin said. Treasury officials agreed. Once that happened the Susan  Dollar already difficult to find in stateside circulation faded into history. What can we say people just hated it said Dan Jerore a mint spokesman. Aside from the confusion with the Quarter it had a red tint from its Copper Content that made it look kind of ugly. And people were just too attached to the Dollar  All told Jerore said 857 million coins were minted 758 million in 1979,90 million in 1980 and 9 million in 1981, figures that precisely track the Coin s nose dive in popularity. Today 210 million Are stored in the . Mints in Denver Philadelphia and san Francisco. The Federal Reserve Bank in Denver has 122 million while 109 million Are spread among the other 11 Federal Reserve Banks around the country. The other 416 million arc marked As paid out which Means they re still technically in circulation Jerore said. But i think it s a Safe bet that most of them Are being hoarded  Coin dealers and  government has Given up on the Dollar Coin concept Jerore said adding that the mint emphatically and unequivocally has no plans to circulate another one in the foreseeable future. Chronology tells sad Saga of Anthony Dollar Washington highlights and Low lights of the Susan  Anthony Dollar s meteoric Rise and fall feb. 4, 1979 . Mint director Stella Hackl unveils the Susie b., which costs 3 cents to make and lasts years longer than a Bill. An initial mint run of 500 million coins is planned. June 18 the mint mindful of recent failures with the Eisenhower Dollar Coin and the $2 Bill announces that the Susie  Will  backed  a $600,000 and Campaign to ensure that citizens feel comfortable about the Coin. July 2 first Day sales Are brisk but complaints about the similarities of the Susie  And the Quarter already Are heard. July 13 some merchants turn a cold shoulder to the Susie  The government says customers can leave without paying for a Purchase if a re Tailer refuses to accept the coins. July 21 the Public is calling the Susie  A joke but Hackl still claims it will  a Success. Acceptance eventually will  Good she says. Sept. I Susan  Anthony s Hometown of Adams mass., gives up on her Coin. Local merchants say the mint is not promoting it Well enough and suggest letting Mcdonald s run the and Campaign. Sept. 17 the mint hires Public relations consultants to perk up the and Campaign. At the same time members of Congress talk of making the Coin the same size and weight As the Eisen Hower Silver Dollar which Sank like a Rock because it was big and Bulky. Sept. 27 Media reports Quoc citizens describing the Susie  As tur key Flop and near total disaster but mint officials say the Coin was not expected to do Well right away and blast the Media for continually predicting its failure. Oct. 12 rumours sprout of plans for military Banks overseas to curtail use of is Bills to encourage use of the Susan dec. 3 mint officials consider changing the color of the Coin to make it More acceptable to the Public. There is no word on what potential hues Are in the running. Feb. 22, 1980 Hackel temporarily halts production saying without a Trace of irony that there arc enough coins on hand to meet current de  4 the government seeks a second life for the Susie  On the Coin s first birthday As the military confirms it will phase out $1 Bills overseas within 18 months and us Anthony dollars almost exclusively. Sept. 10hackel predicts a Bright future for the Susie  It s just a mat Ter of getting used to the feel and appearance of the Coin she says. Nov. 11 sen. William Proxmire d-wis., says the Coin has Hurt the purchasing Power of gis overseas  cause foreign Banks offer less in Exchange for the coins than for paper dollars. Banks in some countries won t accept them at All he adds. Dec. 12 defense Secretary Harold Brown citing a morale prob Lem informs Proxmire that the Pentagon is scrapping its plan to phase out $ 1 Bills in overseas Banks and will offer both Bills and Anthony dollars to provide customers with a  22, 198 just Short of the Coin s second birthday the mint admits that More Susan  Anthony Dol Lars arc in the government s vaults than the Public s pockets. Plans for All