This Week in the Mercury
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Politics Capitalism vs. Capitalism
Posted by Eli Sanders on Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 2:27 PM
The best thing about the story, via Ben Smith, of the U.S. Mint vs. cable television's Obama coins?
The best thing is that it's apparently totally legal to take a real U.S. silver dollar, coat it in plastic (or gold), add Obama's likeness, and resell this modified currency to people who buy such things via cable television advertisements.
In fact, you can kind of hear, in the U.S. Mint's statement on the matter, a grudging respect for the entrepreneurship behind it all:
These advertisements feature genuine United States coins that the private commercial businesses have altered by affixing a colorized image to the coin. Additionally, some businesses have treated the coins by gold-plating them.These items are not official United States Mint products. Furthermore, these products, businesses, and advertisements are not approved, endorsed, sponsored, or authorized by the United States Mint, the Department of the Treasury, or the United States Government.
The United States Mint does not encourage, endorse, or sponsor products that alter the fundamental images depicted on its coins.
It doesn't encourage, endorse, or sponsor, but it's also not going to do much more than clarify and harrumph! Carry on, capitalists.
Most Commented on Blogtown, PDX
-
Slate: What's the Matter with Portland? by Dirk VanderHart
-
KATU Poll Brings Bad News for Fluoridation Campaign by Denis C. Theriault
-
Everything Is Terrible and I Want a New Job. by Alison Hallett
-
Mike Daisey "Drank Some NyQuil" Before Commenting on Blogtown by Alison Hallett
-
This Week in Sex by Rose Finn
-
PTERODACTYL MONSTER ALERT by Erik Henriksen
-
My Least Favorite Piece of Misogyny This Week: Girl Friendship Edition by Barbara Holm
-
Film Critics: Nervously Boarding a Star Trek into Obsolescence by Bobby Roberts
-
Unsurprising: Kerns Neighbors Might Fight a New Apartment Building by Dirk VanderHart
-
Obama Has "No Apologies" for Spying on Reporters by Dominic Holden
Our Friends
- UrbanHonking
- Culture Shock
- Portland Roundball Society
- Steph Cassano
- Cort and Fatboy
- Street Roots
- Powell's Books Blog
- Portland Transport
- Portland Afoot
- Bike Portland
- Eater: PDX
- Portland Food and Drink
- Mr. Movie
- Sunday Softball
- BlueOregon
- Sightline Institute
- Ultra: Arts Portland
- Bitch Magazine
- Blazer's Edge
- Reading Local: Portland
- Portland Food Carts
- Stumptown Vegans
Our Enemies
RSSGoing to Seattle?
