The President John Adams dollar coin is the second in the series. The George Washington coin was released in February.

U.S. Mint

After at least four previous failed introductions, the coin dollar is back. And it’s just as popular as ever.

“I don’t want the stupid thing,” said Ed Mullen of Warwick, who wrote a letter to the editor of the Providence Journal when he recently received a coin dollar as change.

This week the U.S. Mint released another installment of the presidential coin dollar series. It started in February with George Washington on the coin’s face, and now moves on to our second president, John Adams. And every three months hereafter, for at least the next 10 years, the coin will honor successive presidents.

For those of you who haven’t had Mullen’s shopping experience — receiving dollars as change — your chance is coming again.

The Sacagawea dollar coin, which honored the Native American guide of Lewis and Clark, was introduced in 2000. The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin, which honored the suffragette leader, was introduced in 1979.

Neither coin caught on, perhaps because they’re coins.

“People just don’t want to have coins in their pockets,” said Steve Innarelli, owner of American Rare Coin in East Providence. “We’ve gotten to the point where everyone empties their pockets of change at the end of every day.”

Coin dollars are heavier and bulkier than paper dollars. As long as paper dollars are used, according to Ken Podrat, owner of Podrat Coin Exchange, a coin shop on Providence’s East Side, the coin dollar won’t be. “Every other country in the world has figured that out: France, Canada and England,” he said.

The Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 is modeled after the 50-State Quarter Program, which will wrap up next year. Both coin programs were brought about by legislation introduced by Rep. Michael Castle (R) of Delaware. In his legislation to create the presidential coin dollar series, he did not stipulate that the paper dollar should be removed from circulation.“I believe that the paper dollar is still an institution in this country and for that reason will be very difficult to remove,” Castle said.

A coin dollar is more cost-efficient than a paper dollar, according to Michael White, a spokesperson for the U.S. Mint. The paper dollar lasts 18 months; the coin 30 years. “There are cost savings related to that,” he said.

There’s also some profit to specialty coins. Some people get them but don’t use them. They collect them, essentially giving the government a monetary contribution beyond the usual revenue from minting coins, called the seigniorage.

“As these coins are collected and taken out of circulation, the Mint needs to produce more, thus creating revenue for the government through seigniorage,” Castle said. “Therefore, I am encouraged that the presidential dollar coins will be more popular than previous dollar coins.”

But because the dollar coins are being mass distributed, some who engage in numismatics say they’re not considered serious collectibles.

“So many were made,” Podrat said. “Their value is as money.”

However, the coins could pique an interest in currency and history.

“The most positive thing you can say is that it’s a way for young people to collect coins without spending a lot of money,” Innarelli said. “If you spend $1.50 for an uncirculated George Washington coin dollar, you’ll still get a dollar for it. There’s not much risk. Your kids can learn about the presidents. The best part about the state quarters is that kids are paying attention to the states. The coin dollar could do the same thing with the presidents.”

The size, weight, color and metal composition of the presidential dollar coin is identical to the Sacagawea dollar coin. It’s gold in color and a little bigger than a quarter. Unlike other U.S. coins, it does not have its mint date and the phrases “E Pluribus Unum” and “In God We Trust” on either face, but on its edge. And the word “liberty,” which appears on all U.S. coins, does not appear on the presidential dollar coin. Instead, the backside of the coin features an image of the Statue of Liberty.

The relative popularity of dollar coins depends on who you ask, and, maybe, when you ask. In February, just before the series debuted with the George Washington coin dollar, Market Strategies Incorporated conducted a telephone survey of 3,000 adults: 82 percent said they would accept the dollar coin in a transaction. However, last month Coinstar, which among other products sells coin-counting machines, conducted a similar survey of 1,010 adults: 60 percent were aware of the coin dollars; 16 percent were using them; 31 percent were saving them; and 25 percent were avoiding them.

Apparently the average, non-coin-collecting American isn’t excited about the dollar coins.

Mullen, for example, wants no part. A couple of weeks ago he conducted a cash transaction in a post office and a received a dollar coin as change.

“I rejected it. I said, ‘No, give me a dollar bill. Take this thing back.’ The clerk said, ‘Oh, you, too.’ ”

brourke@projo.com