Dollar Coins Are Done : Planet Money Earlier this year we reported on the pileup of more than a billion unwanted $1 coins in government vaults. It was the result of a law passed a few years back that ordered the mint to create coins honoring each U.S. president.Today, the White House said it will end the program.

Dollar Coins Are Done

Dollar Coins Are Done

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/143668605/143673296" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Dollar coins
John W. Poole/NPR

Earlier this year we reported on the pileup of more than a billion unwanted $1 coins in government vaults. It was the result of a law passed a few years back that ordered the mint to create coins honoring each U.S. president.

Today, the White House said it will end the program. A small number of dollar coins will continue to be minted for collectors, but the coins will no longer be put into circulation. The shift will save an estimated $50 million a year.

On today's podcast, which originally aired in June, we visit a vault full of unwanted dollar coins and talk to the lawmakers who created the program.

For More: See our complete coverage of the dollar-coin story.

Subscribe to the podcast. Music: Aloe Blacc's "I Need A Dollar." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook/Spotify