New nickles

WASHINGTON - Coming soon to a cash register near you — a smiling Thomas Jefferson looking straight at you from a new nickel that will end nearly a century of tradition for U.S. coins.

The Mint plans to begin shipping 80 million of the new 5-cent coins on Thursday to the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks. They will be the first of an estimated 1 billion new nickels which will be put into circulation over the next year.

Since 1909 when Abraham Lincoln became the first president depicted on a circulating coin, all the presidential images have been in profile.

But in a break with that tradition, the new nickel has an image of Jefferson taken from a 1800 Rembrandt Peale portrait in which the nation's third president is looking forward, with just the hint of a smile. The word "Liberty" in Jefferson's handwriting is also shown as is the phrase "In God We Trust."

What a great way to respect a legendary politician, thinker, and secularist. Lets not forget that the President represented on this coin denied the divinity of Christ, and fought tooth and nail to keep religion out of government.

Ya.. so.. he kept slaves, and he did like screwing some of them, but it really was the tradition of the time.

But can we please take "in God we trust" off the currency? The bat shit crazy people managed to get that added back in the 50's and it's time to get rid of it. I like "in liberty we trust".. or something like that.