How fares the new Anthony dollar’? Apparently not so well. judging by a statement Rep. Frank Annunzio. DIll. has read into The Congressional Record. Annunzio offered a tongue – in – cheek idea for ultimately turning a profit from the slow-moving coins after noting that millions of Anthony Dollars now are collecting dust in mint and bank vaults. The idea sprang from his observation that people were willing to pay up to $65 apiece for near – century – old silver dollars in a Carson City sale last February after a cache of the coins had been discovered in a long – forgotten treasury vault. “Perhaps we can learn a lesson from that sale. We could take the remaining Anthony dollars and store them a hundred years. Americans of the 21st century might be willing to pay $65 or more to get just one of these coins,” Annunzio conjectured. “ln this way. not only would we dispose of these unwanted coins, but he would leave our great grandchildren something to help raise revenue and balance their budget.” Annunzio said that since last year the bureau of the mint had struck nearly 840 million Anthony dollars. Sixty-four percent have never been released. “Public interest is so low that the mint stopped striking Anthony dollars in March and has no plans to resume. In fact, the mint’s 1981 budget contains no funds to strike any more of these coins.” Annunzio said the National Restaurant Association recently called for a halt on minting the Anthony dollar. “The coins are unpopular and little used in slot machines Bankers report many people are reluctant to accept them. Vending machine operators do not want to spend $100 to $200 to convert equipment to accept the coin The mint, said the congressman, has been conducting tests to develop a new alloy to change the c0in’s color to a bronze tone. “Tests continue. though a Gallup poll for the mint showed that a color change would rut make the coin any murr acceptable.”