PropertyValue
?:author
?:datePublished
  • 2020-04-30 (xsd:date)
?:headline
  • Is the White House Gift Shop Selling Coronavirus Commemorative Coins? (en)
?:inLanguage
?:itemReviewed
?:mentions
?:reviewBody
  • In late April 2020, some social media users accused the White House of attempting to capitalize on the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic by selling commemorative coins through the White House Gift Shop: The U.S. government is not selling coronavirus commemorative coins via the White House Gift Shop. The LGBTQ Nation article mentioned in the above-displayed tweet is referring to the website WhiteHouseGiftShop.com. Although this website is selling coronavirus commemorative coins, and it does call itself the White House Gift Shop, it is not officially affiliated with U.S. President Donald Trump, the U.S. government, or the White House. The LGBTQ Nation article acknowledges this in its closing paragraphs: When we reached out to Anthony Giannini, the owner of WhiteHouseGiftShop.com, he confirmed to us that the White House is not selling coronavirus coins and that the White House Gift Shop is not affiliated with The White House, nor is The White House involved in any of our decisions, products, or operations. WhiteHouseGiftShop.com has a long and convoluted history that can reportedly be traced back to the Truman administration in the 1940s. Giannini told us that this gift shop program has gone through several iterations over the years and over time has become further removed from the U.S. government. In 2012, Giannini says, ownership of the White House Gift Shop was officially transferred to his corporation and in 2016 he was awarded a trademark for the White House Gift Shop name. While the WhiteHouseGiftShop.com may trace its history back to the 1940s, and while this organization may have been at one time affiliated with the U.S. government, as of this writing in 2020, the WhiteHouseGiftShop.com is a privately run website with no official connections to the White House. Giannini said: It should also be noted that all of the proceeds from these coronavirus commemorative coins, according to Giannini, will be donated to COVID-19 research hospitals and the NYPD. Giannini told us that he created the World Vs Virus COVID-19 commemorative coins to raise money for John Hopkins Hospital where his wife, Helen, is being treated for leukemia. Giannini wrote: In short, the website WhiteHouseGiftShop.com is truly selling COVID-19 commemorative coins. However, although this website may have a historical connection to the White House, is it not currently affiliated with the president, the United States government, or the White House. Official commemorative coins are produced by the United States Mint. A variety of coins are scheduled to be released this year, including one celebrating American Samoa and a set dedicated to the Founding Fathers, but the U.S. Mint has not announced any coins to commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic. (en)
?:reviewRating
rdf:type
?:url