Promoting the Golden Sacagawea Dollar

The U.S. Mint felt that in order for the golden dollar to be a success they would have to heavily promote it and educate the public on the merits of using it. Therefore, in the Spring of 2000 the Mint launched an unprecedented ad campaign to try to get the public to accept, and use, the new golden dollar.

In television ads the face of George Washington expounded the virtues of using the golden dollar in everyday commerce. Actor Michael Keaton was hired to do the voice of George Washington in these television ads as well as in radio ads.

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See TV Ad

Click on bottom right of video to enlarge.

A CHEERIOS DOLLAR AND CENT
IN THEIR ORIGINAL HOLDER

A CHEERIOS DOLLAR AND CENT
THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED IN
AN ANACS HOLDER

The Mint also joined with businesses to promote and distribute the new dollars. Wal-Mart and Sam's Club begin distributing the dollars nationwide on January 30, 2000, this being before they were available anywhere else. Cereal company General Mills also got into the act by placing one new golden dollar in every 2,000^th box of Cheerios cereal. These have become very collectible. Undoubtedly many were opened and spent, making original packaged pieces hard to come by. In addition, one of every 4400 boxes had a certificate good for 100 golden dollars.

TOTAL NUMBER OF "CHEERIOS DOLLARS" RELEASED = 5,500.

Read the U. S. Mint's Official Press Release.

UPDATE: In February 2005, it was discovered that most, if not all, of the Cheerios Dollars are actually a Sacagawea Dollar pattern that was struck before regular production began. Read about this amazing discovery HERE .

Print ads also began appearing around the country. Below are two such ads that appeared in "People" magazine in March 2000.

This ICG slabbed 2001-P Sacagawea Dollar was handed out by Randy'L Teton at the National Automatic Merchandising Association's (NAMA) 65th National Expo held in Chicago, October 25-27, 2001. Ms. Teton was in attendance at the expo to promote acceptance and use of the Sacagawea Dollar in vending machines. Note: The expo was held October 25-27, not October 24-26 as the slab states.

Here is an imaginative way to promote the use of small dollar coins
instead of "dirty" paper money. This clever rhyme reads "This
dirty dollar, ripped and stained, is full of germs, no doubt
* Use the dollar coin instead - it's clean and won't wear out."

Here is another one. It reads: "Where has this dollar been? On the
men's room floor? In a stripper's g-string? Use the new dollar coin."

Here's a different twist. Instead of promoting the Golden Dollar, the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado cleverly used the dollar to promote their agenda.

This Sacagawea dollar has been stickered on the back side by the Coors Brewing Company. The sticker is similar to the Coors corporate logo, the difference being the "$1" designation and the words "GOLDEN DOLLAR" in place of "GOLDEN, COLORADO". Coors employees can purchase these dollars at the Brewery and are encouraged to spend them in the town of Golden to point out how much the Coors employee dollar means to the community.

Here is a wood that was created to encourage elimination of the
paper dollar and to promote use of the dollar coin. It was
created and distributed by Leon Reino of New Jersey.

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