It has become exceedingly difficult to avoid the trap of thinking that the sky is falling. Events throughout the times can be misleading so that when there is an inclination toward the negative, it’s easy to go down that road when there’s no concrete reason to do so.

The recent news that the entirety of the Commission of Fine Arts was told their services were no longer needed was a bit of a shock. In reality, as those serving at the will of an executive, it could have happened at any time and, in reality, may have been done before. (I tried Googling it to no avail.) As a panel tied to partisan politics (though the individuals may not be as inclined), it is subject to such winds of change, but the timing could have been  better if it had to happen at all.

While the panel had a number of responsibilities, we tend to focus on the role of providing guidance to the Treasury on the matter of coin and medal designs. Without an active CFA, one aspect of the process is vacated and is thus ineffective. The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee will soldier on, but the checks and balances are unbalanced for now.

The events occurring during what has become the longest shutdown in federal government operations in the history of the nation darkens the cloud. Headlines get more bleak with each passing day, casting doubt on the future. Questions abound about the priorities and loom large as the nation is poised on what could become its greatest celebration, the milestone of 250 years since its independence.

Here’s where we circle back to the coin designs again…there’s still a lot of work to be done to be sure there is a fitting tribute for such an achievement.

By the same token, with 2026 on the horizon, one would think that the subject of the Catalyst $10 note would have started to make itself known once again. After all, sometime within the next 13 months, we’re supposed to have paper currency that is more suited to meet the needs of the entire population, but it has been a long time since we heard anything about it…looks like a New Year’s resolution is going to be to find out more about it.

It’ll be nice to have some better news. Senate confirmation of Paul Hollis as the 41st Mint Director would be a good start. That should chase some clouds away.

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It has become exceedingly difficult to avoid the trap of thinking that the sky is falling. Events throughout the times can be misleading so that when there is an inclination toward the negative, it’s easy to go down that road when there’s no concrete reason to do so.

The recent news that the entirety of the Commission of Fine Arts was told their services were no longer needed was a bit of a shock. In reality, as those serving at the will of an executive, it could have happened at any time and, in reality, may have been done before. (I tried Googling it to no avail.) As a panel tied to partisan politics (though the individuals may not be as inclined), it is subject to such winds of change, but the timing could have been  better if it had to happen at all.

While the panel had a number of responsibilities, we tend to focus on the role of providing guidance to the Treasury on the matter of coin and medal designs. Without an active CFA, one aspect of the process is vacated and is thus ineffective. The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee will soldier on, but the checks and balances are unbalanced for now.

The events occurring during what has become the longest shutdown in federal government operations in the history of the nation darkens the cloud. Headlines get more bleak with each passing day, casting doubt on the future. Questions abound about the priorities and loom large as the nation is poised on what could become its greatest celebration, the milestone of 250 years since its independence.

Here’s where we circle back to the coin designs again…there’s still a lot of work to be done to be sure there is a fitting tribute for such an achievement.

By the same token, with 2026 on the horizon, one would think that the subject of the Catalyst $10 note would have started to make itself known once again. After all, sometime within the next 13 months, we’re supposed to have paper currency that is more suited to meet the needs of the entire population, but it has been a long time since we heard anything about it…looks like a New Year’s resolution is going to be to find out more about it.

It’ll be nice to have some better news. Senate confirmation of Paul Hollis as the 41st Mint Director would be a good start. That should chase some clouds away.

Connect with Coin World:  
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Access our Dealer Directory  
Like us on Facebook  
Follow us on X (Twitter)

Whether you’re a current subscriber or new, you can take advantage of the best offers on magazine subscriptions available in digital, print or both! Whether you want your issue every week or every month, there’s a subscription to meet your needs.