More uninspring Miltary commems in the Pipeline

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by mrbrklyn, Jul 3, 2012.

  1. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    Well sir, I don't think you are disqualified in the least to render a judgment. The "even worst" part of all of these military themed coins is how the rest of the world judges them. Short of a country like North Korea, we probably have the most military themed coinage in the world. What does this tell the rest of the world where are values are? We got to be the largest economy by promoting free markets, capitalism, entrepreneurship, liberty, freedom. We took the "poor and huddled masses" from Europe and elsewhere to become our own liberty loving nation. Now all we seem to celebrate is warfare.

    It is because of other nations like yours Christian that I object most strongly to these military commemoratives. War is not something to celebrate. You honor your dead and wounded, you honor their sacrifices, and hope that theirs is the last sacrifices needed. I lost friends in the military due to enemy actions, and I honor their memories. I don't want or need a coin to do that for me. I especially do not want a coin commemorating a 5 star general that never fell in battle. Seems we are just glorifying war leaders. I would rather glorify a person who cured polio, or helped the French identify AIDS, or initiated a micro loan program benefiting subsaharan Africa.
     
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  3. treehugger

    treehugger Well-Known Member

    Are you possibly pushing for a Bill and Melinda Gates coin, given their philanthropic work with polio, AIDS, malaria and education? In all seriousness, I agree with what you say.

    I think the situation, though, is those types of issues do not strike a chord with the majority of people. However, things like war do. I think the Mint feels it will sell coins better if the subject of those coins is reduced to the lowest common denominator.

    In terms of just this year, the Mint could have done a commemorative of the Titanic. After all, the ship was sailing to the U. S. A number of world mints produced 100th Anniversary coins and they sold very well.

    The Star-Spangeled Banner coin was pretty nice and I think was supposed to remember the War of 1812 (our second war of independence and a war that not a lot of people know a lot about.)

    However, the focal point of the coin seemed to be Fort McHenry and the lyrics written by Francis Scott Key. What is confusing, though, is the Fort McHenry event did not occur until 1814. So, this coin was supposed to remember the 98th anniversary? Oops.

    It definitely seems we are locked into a military era in terms of commemoratives. For me, it's okay to have 1 of these every so often, but it's really overkill (no pun intended) for them to be so pervasive.
     
  4. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    No - but prosecution would make me happy.
     
  5. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    I like the Teddy Roosevelt Medal. That would be a great coin. We can do beavers and the beaver trade, the Fulton Steam Boat, paddle Wheel Boats on the Mississippi, The Erie Canal, Rail Roads, the 747 jet, Kansas City Jazz, the Model T automobile, the Cougar, Grizzly Bear, Turkey, The Cotton Gin, The American News Paper and Press, iron clad shipping and trade, the Hubble Telescope, Mount McKinley, The Samon runs on the Columbia, The American Alligator... off the top of my head...
     
  6. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    All good thoughts, and all more deserving than most politicians and generals in my mind. :)
     
  7. LFCfan

    LFCfan Member

    These ideas remind me of the Celebration of Britain Series that the Royal Mint produced. I personally like most of the designs, a simple quote with some British imagary...like Stonehenge, the Thames, The Flying Scotsman, etc.
     
  8. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    I have a question. On the rev of the silver doller, who's sword is that she is holding? I certainly hope it isn't hers. A broken sword is a symbol of having been defeated. And since there is no one else shown or mentioned on the coin the symbolism of the coin seems to implying that we were defeated in World War II. Doesn't the mint learn? The got in a big flap over this same symbolism on the reverse of the Peace dollar where the original design showed the eagle holding a broken sword.

    And the reverse of the five dollar gold, isn't this the third or fourth commemorative that has shown a battle laden soldier charging forward? The 1993 WWII commem, I think the Korean War commem, the Army infantry, now this one. The cookie cutter school of military commemorative design. Take image of charging soldier, put on coin, put something in the back ground to make it different from the others.

    The reverse of the half dollar, well I guess it is technically correct, and it is nice and flat so it shouldn't give any problems striking, and it has all the attention grabbing and excitement of a bowl of oatmeal.
     
  9. Zlotych

    Zlotych Member

    I think the mint knows that most U.S. collectors are from an age where military service (don't get my wrong - I respect it) is a very high honor.

    Seems short-sighted though. This may be why the Canadian mint and Pert have expanded to other subjects. What about the wildlife of our country, the artists, the inventors, the architects, etc. It's all so predictable, the subjects they cover.

    Our military and government interests are important, but others contribute to our country and could draw other collectors.
     
  10. statequarterguy

    statequarterguy Love Pucks

    As has been mentioned, the onslaught of militaristic themed commems reflect what the U.S. has become, that’s what’s disturbing.
     
  11. d.t.menace

    d.t.menace Member

    That would be the sword of the Roman centurion whose helmet she has her foot on. We did defeat the Romans in WW2 doncha know.
    Really, I don't know if the committee even knows about symbolism or if they just think the design is neat.
     
  12. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    Excuse and and indulge an older gentleman's thoughts regarding the (of late) militaristic themes regarding commems. I grew up in an era where our soldiers were spit upon and labeled as baby killers. The Vietnam era was a dark day in our nations history, and military personnel returned home to find that their service to our nation was unappreciated, unwanted and unwarranted. I, quite frankly, applaud the new found exuberance for our military. May God bless 'em.........

    Happy 4th Brothers and Sisters. :)
     
  13. Atarian

    Atarian Well-Known Member

    Read more: http://www.cointalk.com/t209174-2/#ixzz1zcyxxZEZ

    So you have to die in battle to be worthy of the honor of being on a US coin? Eisenhower was just a 'war leader'? You need to go, right now, to the library and read about the people depicted on the coins.
     
  14. statequarterguy

    statequarterguy Love Pucks

    I hear what you're saying about Vietnam, but I don’t think any have suggested our service men & women aren’t worthy of respect. More to the point is, like our commems, our nation has grown weary (and broke) from fighting protracted wars. Thank God they’re winding down and hopefully we’ll enter a period of prosperity based on solving some significant issues. Maybe then we can commemorate something other than war.
     
  15. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    True, but isn't it obvious from the "issue context"? She has one foot on a helmet too ...

    Also note that, of the five designs for that side, three use this image with the broken sword: http://news.coinupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/silver-reverse.jpg With the map of Europe and "ETO" in the background, it would have been clearer but also a little cluttered.

    Christian
     
  16. dwhiz

    dwhiz Collector Supporter

    Douglas_MacArthur.jpg And to see Mac Arthur without his corn cob pipe my my just to PC for me. Happy 4th everyone
     
  17. treehugger

    treehugger Well-Known Member

    Regardless of where we stand on these issues, I think there is something upon which we (Americans, that is) can agree. That is, all things considered, the U. S. A. is the best place in the world to live.

    Because of that, I just want to echo green's holiday wishes on this day. Happy Fourth of July, everyone!
     
  18. ldhair

    ldhair Clean Supporter

    I like the program. Wish they would pick the eagles for the reverses. The $5 eagle reverse is great looking. Wish they would do the half dollars in silver. Clad just kills the looks.
     
  19. LFCfan

    LFCfan Member

    The image on the reverse is modeled after the WWII Victory Medal issued to servicemen and women serving in the conflict from Dec 7, 1941 until Dec 31, 1946 (so you could have received the medal and not have served in the war, as WWII was over on Sept 2, 1946 but Truman declared the hostilities over on Dec 31, 1946)


    Per Wikipida- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_Victory_Medal_(United_States)
    The World War II Victory Medal was first issued as a ribbon, and was referred to simply as the “Victory Ribbon.” By 1946, a full medal had been established which was referred to as the World War II Victory Medal. The medal's front depicts Nike standing victorious, holding a broken sword, representing the broken power of the Axis, with one foot upon the helmet of Mars, the Roman god of war, representing the end of the conflict. Behind Nike is a sunburst, representing the dawn of peace. The reverse recalls the "Four Freedoms" speech by President Roosevelt, with a laurel sprig, surrounded by the words "United States of America", and the dates of the conflict, "1941-1945". The edges of the ribbon revisit the multi-colored rainbow ribbon of the Allied World War I Victory Medal. This again honors all the allied nations. The wide red center represents the new sacrifice of blood by World War II combatants. The thin white lines separating the central red band from the outer multi-colored bands represent the rays of new hope, two of them signifying that this was the second global conflict.
     
  20. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    I appreciate that, but, FWIW, from a US perspective, WWII was clearly not about just Europe. It was a seriously global conflict which Europe only recieved a part of our attention. Maybe that is the most amazing part of US strength that is under appreciated.
     
  21. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    Hence the first "W" in WW. I am fairly sure most people, certainly not in the US only, know about that, even if they don't know many historical details. But what I wanted to point at is that three designs use the same (broken sword) symbol ... If these three were all done by the same designer, that would explain a lot. However, if two or three different people had picked that symbol, I would wonder why.

    "PS" -- Ah, had not noticed the background info that LFCfan provided (#38). Now it makes sense. :)

    Christian
     
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