Marine Corps Commemorative Sponsored by Murtha Named "Coin of the Year"

Marine Corps Commemorative Sponsored by Murtha Named
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the HouseAppropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced that the Marine Corps230th Anniversary Silver Dollar has been named "Coin of the Year" (COTY) bya distinguished panel of international judges.
Murtha was the chief House sponsor and champion of the 2005 bill toauthorize the minting of the coin to commemorate the 230th anniversary ofthe United States Marine Corps. The coin sold out rapidly upon its releasein 2006, far exceeding average commemorative coin sales. It was produced atno taxpayer cost and raised $6 million to help pay for the new NationalMuseum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA.
The U.S. Mint annually issues two commemorative coins to celebrate and honorAmerican people, places, events or institutions. The Marine Corps coinmarked the first time the U.S. Mint has honored a branch of the U.S.military.
The Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Silver Dollar features a rendition of JoeRosenthal's iconic photograph of the raising of an American flag by Marinesat Iwo Jima in 1945. The coin's reverse features an engraving of the MarineCorps emblem, the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
The 2007 COTY Awards span a two-year judging period. Coins from throughoutthe world are selected on the basis of excellence in artisanship,practicality, and general appeal. U.S. coins received four COTY Awards inall, the most in the history of the United States Mint's participation inthe COTY competition.
The Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Silver Dollar also took the "Best Crown"award, which recognizes dollar-sized silver coins approximately 20 to 30grams in weight and 33 to 42 millimeters in diameter. The awards, sponsoredby World Coin News, will be presented in a ceremony on August 8, 2007, atthe Nation's largest coin show, the American Numismatic Association'sWorld's Fair of Money(r), in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Pittsburgh-Tribune Review EDITORIAL
July 15, 2007
The war in Iraq
Perhaps Jack Murtha put it best: The Pennsylvania congressman, among the first to make the cogent argument that staying the course in Iraq was the exercise in futility that indeed the war has become, says President Bush is delusional.
Based on the president's recent performance, we could not agree more. "Staying the course" is not simply futile -- it is a prescription for American suicide.
We've urged for months to bring our troops home. Now is the time.
"Progress" has become such a nuanced, parsed and tortured term that it no longer has meaning.
The "fledgling" Iraqi government -- how long can it reasonably be called that? -- consistently has not stepped up to the plate.
President Bush warns that U.S. withdrawal would risk "mass killings on a horrific scale." What do we have today, sir?
And quite frankly, during last Thursday's news conference, when George Bush started blathering about "sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don't enable you to be loved," we had to question his mental stability.
If the president won't do the right thing and end this war, the people must. The House has voted to withdraw combat troops from Iraq by April. The Senate must follow suit.
Our brave troops should take great pride that they rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein. And they should have no shame in leaving Iraq. For it will not be, in any way, an exercise in tail-tucking and running.
America has done its job.
It's time for the Iraqis to do theirs.

Marine Corps Commemorative Sponsored by Murtha Named "Coin of the Year"

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced that the Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Silver Dollar has been named "Coin of the Year" (COTY) by a distinguished panel of international judges. Murtha was the chief House sponsor and champion of the 2005 bill to authorize the minting of the coin to commemorate the 230th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. The coin sold out rapidly upon its release in 2006, far exceeding average commemorative coin sales. It was produced at no taxpayer cost and raised $6 million to help pay for the new National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA. The U.S. Mint annually issues two commemorative coins to celebrate and honor American people, places, events or institutions. The Marine Corps coin marked the first time the U.S. Mint has honored a branch of the U.S. military. "This Anniversary coin pays honor to the millions of Marines who have proudly served, from the American Revolution to those who are proudly serving today," Murtha said. "The effort put forth by the Marine Corps in making this coin successful and establishing the museum typifies the excellence and diligence that is a hallmark of the Corps. I'm honored to have played a role in this process and very pleased that the coin has received this recognition." The Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Silver Dollar features a rendition of Joe Rosenthal's iconic photograph of the raising of an American flag by Marines at Iwo Jima in 1945. The coin's reverse features an engraving of the Marine Corps emblem, the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. The 2007 COTY Awards span a two-year judging period. Coins from throughout the world are selected on the basis of excellence in artisanship, practicality, and general appeal. U.S. coins received four COTY Awards in all, the most in the history of the United States Mint's participation in the COTY competition. The Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Silver Dollar also took the "Best Crown" award, which recognizes dollar-sized silver coins approximately 20 to 30 grams in weight and 33 to 42 millimeters in diameter. The awards, sponsored by World Coin News, will be presented in a ceremony on August 8, 2007, at the Nation's largest coin show, the American Numismatic Association's World’s Fair of Money, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The annual COTY Awards honor the work of mints worldwide and have been presented for nearly a quarter of a century. Coin submissions are judged by an international panel of about 30 professional numismatists and experts. There is a two-year lag time built in for nomination and consideration of coin entries to allow wider participation of countries that do not regularly issue coins.

John Murtha: How a lifelong hawk became a dove, too
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WASHINGTON -- In July 1967, Maj. John P. Murtha, a 35-year-old reservist with the U.S. Marine Corps, ended his year-long tour of duty in Vietnam and headed home to his wife and three children in Johnstown.

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