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WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) led a group of bipartisan colleagues in sending a letter to United States Mint Director David Ryder urging the Mint to engage with domestic coin recyclers as they consider changes to the Mutilated Coin Redemption Program that would exclude recycled coins from being used.

As the U.S. Mint finalizes a new rule pertaining to the Program, the lawmakers wrote, “On May 5, 2021, the U.S. Mint published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register pertaining to the Mutilated Coin Redemption Program. Under the current proposed rule, coins damaged through any industrial or recycling process (including shredders, burnishers, and incinerators), exposed to elevated temperatures, and coins that have been drilled, punctured, ground, polished, etched, or chemically treated by any industrial or recycling process will be excluded from the program.

“There are concerns that excluding domestic suppliers and recycling processors that have historically provided these materials through this prohibition will ultimately lead to increased costs and negative environmental effects by requiring the U.S. Treasury to mint all new coins from primary metals rather than recycling these materials through the repurchase program.”

They continued, “It is crucial we preserve the integrity and security of this important program. It is also important to not eliminate the tender of mutilated coins by, or to impose artificial volume limitations upon, U.S. companies that have provided mutilated coins to the Mint without issue for decades. We therefore urge the Mint to collaborate with coin recyclers on establishing necessary safeguards under the final rule to ensure the legitimacy of submitted coins.”

Additional co-signers included: Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Andy Levin (D-MI), Fred Upton (R-MI), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Larry Buschon, M.D. (R-IN), David Joyce (R-OH), Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Lisa McClain (R-MI), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Peter Meijer (R-MI), and Rodney Davis (R-IL).

To view the full letter, please click here.

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