ADVISORY/U.S. Mint Announces Seattle-Area Safeways Join National Effort to Distribute Golden Dollars; Local Stores to Incorporate Coin Into Everyday Use.

Assignment & News Editors

ADVISORY...for Thursday (Feb. 15)

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 2001

Countering speculation that the new Golden Dollar is not circulating, the Seattle-area Safeways will routinely dispense Golden Dollars in change.

Additionally, Safeway customers will be able to exchange other U.S. currency and coins for Golden Dollars. Initially, each store will order 1,000 coins. As demand for Golden Dollars increases, the stores will order additional coins. Safeway Inc., one of the nation's largest food and drug retailers, has asked all of its 1,500 U.S. stores to incorporate the Golden Dollar into everyday use.

WHAT:       U.S. Mint Director Jay Johnson will join Safeway Public
            Affairs Manager Cherie Myers at the Ballard Safeway to
            announce their commitment to using Golden Dollars. The
            event will include Johnson receiving Golden Dollars in
            change while making a purchase, followed by a Golden
            Dollar coin cake-cutting to commemorate the one-year
            anniversary of the release of the coin.

WHEN:       Thursday, February 15, 2001
            10 a.m.

WHERE:      Safeway
            1423 NW Market Street
            Ballard, WA 98107
            [phone]

WHO:        Jay Johnson, Director of the U.S. Mint
            Cherie Myers, Safeway Public Affairs Manager

THE GOLDEN  The Safeway announcement comes on the one-year anniversary
 DOLLAR:    of the release of the Golden Dollar. On January 27, 2000,
            the U.S. Mint began shipping Golden Dollars to commercial
            banks and financial institutions across the United States.
            Since then, 700 million Golden Dollars have been released
            into circulation, more than 10 times the 60 million Susan
            B. Anthony dollar coins circulated in 1999.

            The U.S. Mint was authorized to produce the new dollar
            coin by the United States Dollar Coin Act of 1997. Dollar
            coins have gained popularity in recent years due to their
            expanded use for purchases in post offices, subways,
            buses, vending machines and other coin-operated outlets.
            Visit the Mint's Web site for more information about the
            Golden Dollar at www.usmint.gov.

CONTACT:    Jennifer Dart, [phone], [e-mail]