Auctions, bourse also part of action
Coin World
By Emily Mullins Coin World Intern
Monday, August 29, 2005
United States Treasurer Anna Escobedo Cabral plans to become involved with coins and paper money during her time as U.S. treasurer. She hopes to reach out to collectors by attending conferences, educational forums, coin shows and other events.
Cabral spoke July 27 at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money in San Francisco.
She noted that while some members of her family do collect the State quarter dollars, her personal collection consists of jars of coins belonging to her parents and grandparents.
"I don’t think most of them are worth any money, but it’s fun to sift through them," Cabral said.
During the forum, Treasurer Cabral also spoke of future intentions and priorities of the U.S. Treasury, as well as her personal experiences being chosen for the position.
Family has always been a priority in Cabral’s life. By receiving a scholarship from a Spanish priest to attend college, Cabral was able to send the money she earned while working home to her family. Marrying and having two children between her junior and senior years in college heightened the importance of family in Treasurer Cabral’s life.
"That is not the way I would suggest that everyone completes college," Cabral said jokingly.
Cabral went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California and a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Her jobs have included deputy staff director for the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, executive staff director of the U.S. Senate Republican Conference Task Force on Hispanic Affairs and director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Latino Initiatives.
In July of 2004, President Bush nominated Cabral for the position of U.S. treasurer. She accepted the nomination and was confirmed in November of the same year.
"It’s not every day the president of the United States calls you and offers you the job of U.S. treasurer," said Cabral. "That is a phone call you just don’t say no to."
Her personal preference of placing family first has merged with her professional life, shown through her aim to make headway on the president’s agenda of economic issues, primarily Social Security reform. Treasurer Cabral believes that by tackling the future problem of diminishing funds now, the financial situations of generations to come will have a more positive future and the contributions of generations past will not be unappreciated. By taking the time to create an efficient and final solution, Treasurer Cabral hopes Social Security reform will not be an issue for future political parties.
"I am thinking of my family and the generations of hard workers while I’m assisting with this," Cabral said.
A question-and-answer session directed the topic to a discussion of dollar bills vs. dollar coins. While Treasurer Cabral does not have a personal say in the currency that is circulated throughout the United States, she stressed the fact that the discontinuance of the paper dollar is not a decision that can be made overnight.
"We are very hesitant to switch to just a dollar coin," Cabral said. "What we do with our money affects the entire world."
The treasurer ended the forum by signing notes and speaking to individual members of the audience. CW
being shown to her by owner Steve Contursi, president of Rare Coin Wholesalers, left, at the American Numismatic
Association convention in San Francisco