The U.S. Mint on Wednesday rejected the District of Columbia’s proposal to include the phrase “Taxation Without Representation” on its quarter, deeming the slogan too political to be put on the country’s currency.
The denial came less than a week after the District submitted three ideas for the commemorative quarter, all using the District’s protest of its lack of representation in Congress.
The U.S. Mint informed city officials that the inscription failed to comply with the law prohibiting controversial subjects on the 25-cent piece.
The city’s struggle to change how the District is represented in Congress is a political issue that the nation cannot agree on and is obviously political, U.S. Mint officials said.
“The proposed inscription is clearly controversial and, therefore, inappropriate as an element of design for United States coinage,” U.S. Mint spokesman Greg Hernandez said.
Mayor Adrian Fenty said the city was asked to submit ideas that were “emblematic of the District of Columbia.”
“I can think of nothing more unique and characteristic than our status as the only American citizens without full voting rights in Congress,” Fenty said.
The city will propose an alternative inscription, Fenty said.
But he had hoped the D.C. quarter would be another way for people to learn about the District’s disenfranchised voters.
The District lobbied for 10 years to be included in the popular 50-state quarters program. In December, the city and five U.S. territories were added. The U.S. Mint has not weighed in on the three design proposals.
One depicts the “Stars and Bars” of the D.C. flag, which originated from the George Washington family crest of 600 years ago.
The other two depict astronomer and mathematician Benjamin Banneker and jazz musician Duke Ellington.
The U.S. Mint will study the proposals and work with city officials. The new coin is scheduled to debut next year.
