[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26807-26808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10723]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

United States Mint


Agency Information Collection Activity; Proposed Collection; U.S. 
Coinage Practices

AGENCY: United States Mint, Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and Comment.

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SUMMARY: The United States Mint, a bureau of the Department of the 
Treasury, is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the 
proposed collection of certain information regarding the public's use 
of U.S. coins with special emphasis on the possible use of alternative 
metals in U.S. coinage. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA), agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information and to allow 60 days 
for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits 
comments on a proposed information collection concerning U.S. coinage 
practices as required to determine the public's interest according to 
the Coin Modernization, Oversight, and Continuity Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 
111-302).

DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on the collection 
of information by 60 days after the notice is published.

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments on the collection of information 
to U.S.Coinage [email protected]. Submit all written 
comments to U.S. Coinage Practices--Alternative Metals; Office of Coin 
Studies; United States Mint; 801 9th Street NW.; Washington, DC 20220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yvonne Pollard; Compliance Branch; 
United States Mint; 801 9th Street NW.; 6th Floor; Washington, DC 
20220; 202-354-8400 (this is not a toll-free number); 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal 
agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. 
``Collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 
1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of 
the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a 
third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) 
requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice of the proposed 
collection of information before submitting the proposed collection of 
information to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, we 
are publishing notice of the proposed collection of information 
described in this document.
    With respect to the following collection of information, the United 
States Mint invites comments on--(1) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the United 
States Mint's functions, including whether the information will have 
practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the United States Mint's 
estimate of the burden of the proposed collection, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of information 
technology.

U.S. Coinage Practices Survey

    The Coin Modernization, Oversight, and Continuity Act of 2010, 
Public Law 111-302, section 2(b)(3), authorizes the Secretary of the 
Treasury to consider such factors he deems appropriate and in the 
public interest when preparing a report and recommendations to Congress 
on the Nation's circulating coins.
    Understanding the public's use and perception of United States 
circulating coins and coin usage is necessary for the United States 
Mint to carry out its mission to mint and issue circulating coins in 
amounts that the Secretary of the Treasury determines are necessary to 
meet the needs of the United States and to prepare recommendations to 
Congress, as authorized by Public Law 111-302. The information 
collected will cover the following topics concerning the use of 
alternative metals in the production of circulating coins:

1. Metallic content
2. color
3. design change
4. height/relief of elements
5. density/weight
6. related savings to taxpayer
7. related cost to industry

    The data will be used to understand the public's use and perception 
of circulating coins and specific factors relating to alternative metal 
materials under consideration. The purpose is to analyze options and 
propose recommendations for possible changes to the nation's 
circulating coins. To obtain this information, the United States Mint 
will conduct both qualitative and quantitative research.

Qualitative Research

Focus Groups

    Focus groups provide an important role in gathering information 
because they allow for a more in-depth understanding of the public's 
attitudes, motivations, and feelings than do

[[Page 26808]]

quantitative studies. Focus groups serve the narrowly defined need for 
direct and informal opinion on a specific topic and as a qualitative 
research tool for these purposes:
     To obtain information that is useful for developing 
variables and measures for quantitative studies,
     To better understand the public's attitudes and emotions 
in response to topics and concepts, and,
     To refine additional quantitative study.
    The United States Mint will use the focus group findings to test 
and refine quantitative studies and will conduct further research 
before making important recommendations regarding alternative metals 
used in the production of coins and policy concerning circulating 
coins. The focus groups will also allow the United States Mint to gauge 
consumers' responses to the physical characteristics of alternative 
metal coins when they experience them in person.
    The United States Mint estimates the burden of this collection of 
information as follows:

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                                                                                           Annual
                              Activity                                  Number of      frequency  per    Total annual      Hours per       Total hours
                                                                       respondents        response        responses         response
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Focus Group Interviews.............................................              90                1               90              1.5              135
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There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information.

    For the purpose of studying the Nation's coinage practices, the 
United States Mint projects the need for one focus group study using 10 
focus groups with an average of nine persons per group, and lasting an 
average of 1.5 hours each.

Quantitative Research

Online Survey

    The online survey will randomly sample individuals, 18 years of age 
and older, in the United States, who are members of the Ipsos i-Say 
panel, an online, opt-in panel of approximately 600,000 individuals. 
These individuals have provided their email addresses and demographic 
information, allowing the sample to be selected so that the 
demographics of survey participants will reflect those of the general 
population.
    The survey will be used to conduct a discrete choice experiment 
where individuals will be asked to compare and rate different scenarios 
of possible metallic composition of circulating coins. This exercise 
will be used to assist in establishing the public's policy preferences 
regarding different changes in the metallic composition of circulating 
coins. The survey will also gather demographic and psychographic data 
to better understand the characteristics correlated with different 
preferences, and will include attitudinal and behavioral questions that 
allow survey responses to be calibrated to the findings of a nationally 
representative telephone survey being carried out by the United States 
Mint. This information will help the United States Mint analyze the 
implications of different policy options and propose recommendations 
for possible changes to the Nation's circulating coins.
    The estimated total number of respondents and the estimated amount 
of time for an average respondent to respond: 1,200 respondents 
averaging 12 minutes per response.
    The estimated total public burden (in hours) associated with the 
collection: 240 annual burden hours.

Telephone Survey

    The data will be used to understand the public's use and perception 
of specific U.S. circulating coinage for the purpose of analyzing 
options and proposing recommendations for possible changes to the 
Nation's circulating coins.
    To obtain this information, the United States Mint will conduct a 
nationally representative random-digit-dial survey of 1,000 U.S. 
adults. The proposed survey will include both landline (700 interviews) 
and cellular (300 interviews) telephones. Interviewing will be 
conducted in both English and Spanish. Up to seven attempts will made 
to reach each sampled household. The questionnaire should take 12 
minutes to complete, including two minutes to screen for eligible 
participants (adults in the cellular telephone sample, the adult with 
the most recent birthday in the household in the landline telephone 
survey). The United States Mint estimates the burden of this collection 
of information will be as described in the table below.

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                                                                  Estimated time
                        Survey component                            to complete     Population     Total burden
                                                                     (minutes)
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Screener........................................................               2            1250           41.67
Main survey.....................................................              10            1000          166.67
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Comments

    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval.

    Authority:  31 U.S.C. 5112(p)(3)(A); Public Law 111-302, section 
2(b)(3).

    Dated: May 5, 2014.
Richard A. Peterson,
Deputy Director, United States Mint.
[FR Doc. 2014-10723 Filed 5-8-14; 8:45 am]
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