Update III: Mayor Adrian Fenty has released a statement responding to the U.S. Mint: “We were asked to submit ideas that were ‘emblematic of the District of Columbia.’ I can think of nothing more unique and characteristic than our status as the only American citizens without full voting rights in Congress. Even after we are successful in changing that status, it will still be an important part of our history. We respectfully disagree with the Mint’s determination, but will submit an alternative inscription that best represents the city.” Back to the drawing board.

Update II: It looks like we’re the first outright rejection. According to the U.S. Mint, “There occasionally have been controversial proposals that would have been rejected; however, we invariably have been able to avoid the finality of a formal rejection through our deliberations with the state before it approved its narrative submissions. We want to promote the quality of the collaborative process with the District of Columbia and with the U.S. Territories by encouraging robust and frank discussions on their quarter design narratives. Releasing examples of the United States Mint’s predecisional consultations with the states would not be conducive to this process.”

Update: We’re waiting to hear from the U.S. Mint if they have ever rejected a proposed design, or if the District will have the dubious pleasure of being the first. And as for the U.S. Mint’s logic, well, we think it’s a little shaky. Sure, D.C. residents know what “Taxation Without Representation” means in practical and political terms. But to the rest of the U.S., the phrase may well be more closely associated with the Boston Tea Party, an important event in this country’s early history. Would the U.S. Mint have acted differently had this been proposed by, say, Massachusetts? And isn’t the phrase a good step removed from saying “We Want the Vote” or “Please Support Voting Rights for D.C.”? We think so.

Hot off the presses from the U.S. Mint:

The United States Mint has notified District of Columbia officials that their proposal to include the inscription “Taxation Without Representation” does not comply with the law that authorizes the D.C. commemorative quarter-dollar coin.

Changing how the District of Columbia (the Seat of Government of the United States) is represented in Congress is a contemporary political issue on which there presently is no national consensus and over which reasonable minds differ.

Although the United States Mint expresses no position on the merits of this issue, we have determined that the proposed inscription is clearly controversial and, therefore, inappropriate as an element of design for United States coinage.

The United States Mint has followed an established process for analyzing proposed narratives and design proposals for all the quarters in the 50 State Quarters(r) Program and will do so for the District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter Program. The United States Mint looks forward to working with District officials to develop narratives that will lead to a quarter honoring the District of Columbia of which the entire Nation can be proud.

Hell, we kinda figured that this is what would happen, but not necessarily this quickly.