diff --git a/cmd/basecoin/commands/init.go b/cmd/basecoin/commands/init.go
index ec0d62435..bd63ca2ad 100644
--- a/cmd/basecoin/commands/init.go
+++ b/cmd/basecoin/commands/init.go
@@ -120,7 +120,10 @@ func GetGenesisJSON(chainID, addr string) string {
           "amount": 9007199254740992
         }
       ]
-    }]
+    }],
+    "plugin_options": [
+      "coin/issuer", {"app": "sigs", "address": "%s"}
+    ]
   }
-}`, chainID, addr)
+}`, chainID, addr, addr)
 }
diff --git a/modules/coin/handler.go b/modules/coin/handler.go
index ffb75aa00..823bfb78a 100644
--- a/modules/coin/handler.go
+++ b/modules/coin/handler.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package coin
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/tendermint/go-wire/data"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
 
@@ -83,7 +81,6 @@ func (h Handler) DeliverTx(ctx basecoin.Context, store state.SimpleDB,
 			out.Address.ChainID = ""
 		}
 
-		fmt.Printf("Giving %#v to %#v\n\n", out.Coins, out.Address)
 		_, err = ChangeCoins(store, out.Address, out.Coins)
 		if err != nil {
 			return res, err
@@ -117,25 +114,11 @@ func (h Handler) SetOption(l log.Logger, store state.SimpleDB,
 	if module != NameCoin {
 		return "", errors.ErrUnknownModule(module)
 	}
-	if key == "account" {
-		var acc GenesisAccount
-		err = data.FromJSON([]byte(value), &acc)
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", err
-		}
-		acc.Balance.Sort()
-		addr, err := acc.GetAddr()
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", ErrInvalidAddress()
-		}
-		// this sets the permission for a public key signature, use that app
-		actor := auth.SigPerm(addr)
-		err = storeAccount(store, actor.Bytes(), acc.ToAccount())
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", err
-		}
-		return "Success", nil
-
+	switch key {
+	case "account":
+		return setAccount(store, value)
+	case "issuer":
+		return setIssuer(store, value)
 	}
 	return "", errors.ErrUnknownKey(key)
 }
@@ -159,3 +142,38 @@ func checkTx(ctx basecoin.Context, tx basecoin.Tx) (send SendTx, err error) {
 	}
 	return send, nil
 }
+
+func setAccount(store state.KVStore, value string) (log string, err error) {
+	var acc GenesisAccount
+	err = data.FromJSON([]byte(value), &acc)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	acc.Balance.Sort()
+	addr, err := acc.GetAddr()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", ErrInvalidAddress()
+	}
+	// this sets the permission for a public key signature, use that app
+	actor := auth.SigPerm(addr)
+	err = storeAccount(store, actor.Bytes(), acc.ToAccount())
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return "Success", nil
+}
+
+// setIssuer sets a permission for some super-powerful account to
+// mint money
+func setIssuer(store state.KVStore, value string) (log string, err error) {
+	var issuer basecoin.Actor
+	err = data.FromJSON([]byte(value), &issuer)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	err = storeIssuer(store, issuer)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return "Success", nil
+}
diff --git a/modules/coin/handler_test.go b/modules/coin/handler_test.go
index 1edd12d87..dc0086fd3 100644
--- a/modules/coin/handler_test.go
+++ b/modules/coin/handler_test.go
@@ -216,3 +216,34 @@ func TestSetOption(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSetIssuer(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+	require := require.New(t)
+
+	cases := []struct {
+		issuer basecoin.Actor
+	}{
+		{basecoin.Actor{App: "sig", Address: []byte("gwkfgk")}},
+		// and set back to empty (nil is valid, but assert.Equals doesn't match)
+		{basecoin.Actor{Address: []byte{}}},
+		{basecoin.Actor{ChainID: "other", App: "role", Address: []byte("vote")}},
+	}
+
+	h := NewHandler()
+	l := log.NewNopLogger()
+	for i, tc := range cases {
+		store := state.NewMemKVStore()
+		key := "issuer"
+
+		value, err := json.Marshal(tc.issuer)
+		require.Nil(err, "%d,%d: %+v", i, err)
+		_, err = h.SetOption(l, store, NameCoin, key, string(value), nil)
+		require.Nil(err, "%+v", err)
+
+		// check state is proper
+		info, err := loadHandlerInfo(store)
+		assert.Nil(err, "%d: %+v", i, err)
+		assert.Equal(tc.issuer, info.Issuer)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/coin/store.go b/modules/coin/store.go
index 9aa951340..58e031961 100644
--- a/modules/coin/store.go
+++ b/modules/coin/store.go
@@ -84,7 +84,11 @@ func updateCoins(store state.SimpleDB, addr basecoin.Actor, coins Coins) (acct A
 
 // Account - coin account structure
 type Account struct {
+	// Coins is how much is on the account
 	Coins Coins `json:"coins"`
+	// Credit is how much has been "fronted" to the account
+	// (this is usually 0 except for trusted chains)
+	Credit Coins `json:"credit"`
 }
 
 func loadAccount(store state.SimpleDB, key []byte) (acct Account, err error) {
@@ -107,3 +111,35 @@ func storeAccount(store state.SimpleDB, key []byte, acct Account) error {
 	store.Set(key, bin)
 	return nil // real stores can return error...
 }
+
+// HandlerInfo - this is global info on the coin handler
+type HandlerInfo struct {
+	Issuer basecoin.Actor `json:"issuer"`
+}
+
+// TODO: where to store these special pieces??
+var handlerKey = []byte{12, 34}
+
+func loadHandlerInfo(store state.KVStore) (info HandlerInfo, err error) {
+	data := store.Get(handlerKey)
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		return info, nil
+	}
+	err = wire.ReadBinaryBytes(data, &info)
+	if err != nil {
+		msg := "Error reading handler info"
+		return info, errors.ErrInternal(msg)
+	}
+	return info, nil
+}
+
+func storeIssuer(store state.KVStore, issuer basecoin.Actor) error {
+	info, err := loadHandlerInfo(store)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	info.Issuer = issuer
+	d := wire.BinaryBytes(info)
+	store.Set(handlerKey, d)
+	return nil // real stores can return error...
+}
diff --git a/modules/coin/tx.go b/modules/coin/tx.go
index b3598970e..9dfcffc11 100644
--- a/modules/coin/tx.go
+++ b/modules/coin/tx.go
@@ -157,3 +157,30 @@ func (tx SendTx) String() string {
 func (tx SendTx) Wrap() basecoin.Tx {
 	return basecoin.Tx{tx}
 }
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// CreditTx - this allows a special issuer to give an account credit
+// Satisfies: TxInner
+type CreditTx struct {
+	Debitor basecoin.Actor `json:"debitor"`
+	// Credit is the amount to change the credit...
+	// This may be negative to remove some over-issued credit,
+	// but can never bring the credit or the balance to negative
+	Credit Coins `json:"credit"`
+}
+
+// NewCreditTx - modify the credit granted to a given account
+func NewCreditTx(debitor basecoin.Actor, credit Coins) basecoin.Tx {
+	return CreditTx{Debitor: debitor, Credit: credit}.Wrap()
+}
+
+// Wrap - used to satisfy TxInner
+func (tx CreditTx) Wrap() basecoin.Tx {
+	return basecoin.Tx{tx}
+}
+
+// ValidateBasic - used to satisfy TxInner
+func (tx CreditTx) ValidateBasic() error {
+	return nil
+}