Cray supercomputer dollar coin, coming soon!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/invention-featured-wisconsins-american-i... NJ's coin continues Thomas Edison's PR campaign for the light bulb :-( https://www.usmint.gov/american-innovation-2019-1-reverse-proof-coin-new-jer...
I saw that, and plan to pick up a few. There is also a Steve Jobs one coming out I believe. On Wed, 29 Oct 2025, Jeffrey Jonas via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/invention-featured-wisconsins-american-i...
NJ's coin continues Thomas Edison's PR campaign for the light bulb :-(
https://www.usmint.gov/american-innovation-2019-1-reverse-proof-coin-new-jer...
In case you missed it, or your bank doesn't have new coins, or you waited too long like me: Cray-1 Supercomputer dollar coin, uncirculated. https://www.littletoncoin.com/shop/2026-d-wisconsin-innovation-dollar-810860 I bought a couple and they look very nice. Dare I say nicer than the pictures. Chris On Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 11:42 AM Jeffrey Jonas via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/invention-featured-wisconsins-american-i...
NJ's coin continues Thomas Edison's PR campaign for the light bulb :-(
https://www.usmint.gov/american-innovation-2019-1-reverse-proof-coin-new-jer...
I did some Web search about these innovation dollars. It was interesting to me but I don't think the details will matter to most on this list. The simplest comments are below: if you want reliable facts, check the US Mint, the US Congress (about why these coins aren't in general circulation), and Wikipedia. The bottom line seems to be, dollar coins started again in the 2010's, but did not become very popular. So the US Mint recently doesn't send dollar coins off to banks, and only makes enough to satisfy likely collector's interest. The banks (and the Mint), are stuck with older over-produced dollar coins nobody wants and few coin-machines can process. The Innovation Dollars began in 2018 and these Cray-1 / Wisconsin coins were minted in 2026 among three other state/themed coins this year. They are US $1 tender as-they-say, suitable for transactions. But they aren't distributed like other coinage. Banks are unlikely to have them or order them if you ask. But if you want a roll or bag of them, anyone can buy direct from the US Mint; check usmint.gov for details, prices seem slightly above $1 each for handling fees. Individual coins are sold by coin dealers, these currently for a few dollars, maybe more if packaged better and if graded higher. Given previous years for this series, it's likely about a million of these will be produced (half from Denver, half from Philadelphia). So they won't be "rare" and gain value that way. They are pretty and have a theme of interest, also they are always worth a dollar even if you spend $3 to get one. Reason enough for some. Regards Herb Johnson
When I was in Germany a few years ago, I bought a Konrad Zuse coin. It's a German 2010 10 EUR coin showing Konrad Zuse (100th anniversary). Zuse designed the Z3 computer in 1938 and it was completed in 1941, making it one of the first computers every produced in the modern era. https://retrocomputingforum.com/t/computers-computer-people-on-coins-and-sta... I think the coin may be silver, but I don't remember. Bill On Sat, Sep 5, 2026 at 12:28 PM Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
I did some Web search about these innovation dollars. It was interesting to me but I don't think the details will matter to most on this list. The simplest comments are below: if you want reliable facts, check the US Mint, the US Congress (about why these coins aren't in general circulation), and Wikipedia.
The bottom line seems to be, dollar coins started again in the 2010's, but did not become very popular. So the US Mint recently doesn't send dollar coins off to banks, and only makes enough to satisfy likely collector's interest. The banks (and the Mint), are stuck with older over-produced dollar coins nobody wants and few coin-machines can process.
The Innovation Dollars began in 2018 and these Cray-1 / Wisconsin coins were minted in 2026 among three other state/themed coins this year. They are US $1 tender as-they-say, suitable for transactions. But they aren't distributed like other coinage. Banks are unlikely to have them or order them if you ask. But if you want a roll or bag of them, anyone can buy direct from the US Mint; check usmint.gov for details, prices seem slightly above $1 each for handling fees. Individual coins are sold by coin dealers, these currently for a few dollars, maybe more if packaged better and if graded higher. Given previous years for this series, it's likely about a million of these will be produced (half from Denver, half from Philadelphia). So they won't be "rare" and gain value that way.
They are pretty and have a theme of interest, also they are always worth a dollar even if you spend $3 to get one. Reason enough for some.
Regards Herb Johnson
That's a cool looking coin Bill, and I'm sure it's a fun conversation starter whenever you have it out. Thanks for the heads up Jeff I love stuff like this. The Steve Jobs coin is interesting too, "Make Something Wonderful" there are probably differing opinions there hahah. On Sat, Sep 5, 2026 at 12:48 PM Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
When I was in Germany a few years ago, I bought a Konrad Zuse coin. It's a German 2010 10 EUR coin showing Konrad Zuse (100th anniversary). Zuse designed the Z3 computer in 1938 and it was completed in 1941, making it one of the first computers every produced in the modern era.
https://retrocomputingforum.com/t/computers-computer-people-on-coins-and-sta... I think the coin may be silver, but I don't remember. Bill
On Sat, Sep 5, 2026 at 12:28 PM Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
I did some Web search about these innovation dollars. It was interesting to me but I don't think the details will matter to most on this list. The simplest comments are below: if you want reliable facts, check the US Mint, the US Congress (about why these coins aren't in general circulation), and Wikipedia.
The bottom line seems to be, dollar coins started again in the 2010's, but did not become very popular. So the US Mint recently doesn't send dollar coins off to banks, and only makes enough to satisfy likely collector's interest. The banks (and the Mint), are stuck with older over-produced dollar coins nobody wants and few coin-machines can process.
The Innovation Dollars began in 2018 and these Cray-1 / Wisconsin coins were minted in 2026 among three other state/themed coins this year. They are US $1 tender as-they-say, suitable for transactions. But they aren't distributed like other coinage. Banks are unlikely to have them or order them if you ask. But if you want a roll or bag of them, anyone can buy direct from the US Mint; check usmint.gov for details, prices seem slightly above $1 each for handling fees. Individual coins are sold by coin dealers, these currently for a few dollars, maybe more if packaged better and if graded higher. Given previous years for this series, it's likely about a million of these will be produced (half from Denver, half from Philadelphia). So they won't be "rare" and gain value that way.
They are pretty and have a theme of interest, also they are always worth a dollar even if you spend $3 to get one. Reason enough for some.
Regards Herb Johnson
there a few stamps and other things with computers on them too On Sat, Sep 5, 2026 at 4:26 PM Bart Hirst <bart.hirst@vcfed.org> wrote:
That's a cool looking coin Bill, and I'm sure it's a fun conversation starter whenever you have it out. Thanks for the heads up Jeff I love stuff like this. The Steve Jobs coin is interesting too, "Make Something Wonderful" there are probably differing opinions there hahah.
On Sat, Sep 5, 2026 at 12:48 PM Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
When I was in Germany a few years ago, I bought a Konrad Zuse coin. It's a German 2010 10 EUR coin showing Konrad Zuse (100th anniversary). Zuse designed the Z3 computer in 1938 and it was completed in 1941, making it one of the first computers every produced in the modern era.
https://retrocomputingforum.com/t/computers-computer-people-on-coins-and-sta... I think the coin may be silver, but I don't remember. Bill
On Sat, Sep 5, 2026 at 12:28 PM Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
I did some Web search about these innovation dollars. It was interesting to me but I don't think the details will matter to most on this list. The simplest comments are below: if you want reliable facts, check the US Mint, the US Congress (about why these coins aren't in general circulation), and Wikipedia.
The bottom line seems to be, dollar coins started again in the 2010's, but did not become very popular. So the US Mint recently doesn't send dollar coins off to banks, and only makes enough to satisfy likely collector's interest. The banks (and the Mint), are stuck with older over-produced dollar coins nobody wants and few coin-machines can process.
The Innovation Dollars began in 2018 and these Cray-1 / Wisconsin coins were minted in 2026 among three other state/themed coins this year. They are US $1 tender as-they-say, suitable for transactions. But they aren't distributed like other coinage. Banks are unlikely to have them or order them if you ask. But if you want a roll or bag of them, anyone can buy direct from the US Mint; check usmint.gov for details, prices seem slightly above $1 each for handling fees. Individual coins are sold by coin dealers, these currently for a few dollars, maybe more if packaged better and if graded higher. Given previous years for this series, it's likely about a million of these will be produced (half from Denver, half from Philadelphia). So they won't be "rare" and gain value that way.
They are pretty and have a theme of interest, also they are always worth a dollar even if you spend $3 to get one. Reason enough for some.
Regards Herb Johnson
participants (6)
-
Bart Hirst -
Bill Degnan -
Chris Fala -
Ethan O'Toole -
Herb Johnson -
Jeffrey Jonas