New U.S. silver dollar with Braille (AP/CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- Officials unveiled the prototype of the first U.S. coin with readable Braille characters on Wednesday -- a silver dollar commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, the creator of the alphabet for the blind.

The coin's display opened the National Federation of the Blind's annual convention in Dallas.
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U.S. Mint director Ed Moy, federation president Marc Maurer and U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions revealed the design of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar in front of about 1,000 people at an outdoor plaza.

The heads side of the silver dollar depicts Louis Braille with the word "Liberty" above it.

On the back of the coin, the Braille code for the word Braille -- or "Brl" -- is inscribed, above a depiction of a school-age boy reading a Braille book with a cane resting on his arm. Behind him is a bookshelf bearing the word "Independence."
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/02/braille.coin.ap/index.html

Hmmm ... would Braille be readable if imprinted around the EDGE of the coint? Recently the Mint introduced coins with the words "In God We Trust" around the edge -- actually printing info like face value would seem a better usage. What else would be needed? USA, to distinguish between coins from different countries; denomination; date(?). It would seem to be doable.

[AndyTiedye]

1. Different Shape Would be Nice

The current dollar coins are too close in size and shape to quarters.
The vending lobby wanted it that way.
The machines can tell them apart, but people barely can.

[KamaAina]

2. The Alabama state quarter, which honors Helen Keller, has Braille

but it's a miniaturized form that can't really be read.