Thread: Why are US coins so blah -- Interview with CCAC member

http://news.coinupdate.com/interview...-sollman-1536/

Interview with CCAC Member Jeanne Stevens-Sollman
August 17, 2012 By Les Peters Leave a Comment

On April 26th, 2012, Jeanne Stevens-Sollman was sworn into the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). She is a leader in the field of medallic sculpture whose work is exhibited in museums throughout the United States and Europe, as well as numerous private collections. Ms. Stevens-Sollman served as the past president of the American Medallic Sculpture Association and is the U.S. vice delegate to the Federation Internationale de la Medaille. In August 2007, she received the ANA's Award of Excellence in Medallic Sculpture. Ms. Stevens-Sollman holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rhode Island College and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Pennsylvania State University.

US coins are blah because the relief is too low.

This



has become this



and it is sad! What used to be a stately portrait has become a smirking spaghetti haired freak!

Originally Posted by Lehigh96

US coins are blah because the relief is too low.

This



has become this



and it is sad! What used to be a stately portrait has become a smirking Yspaghetti haired freak!

I can only assume that getting that high of a relief on a nickel blank was a real killer on dies.

Originally Posted by elijahhenry10

I can only assume that getting that high of a relief on a nickel blank was a real killer on dies.

That's what they're for. They're called "dies," aren't they?

Originally Posted by oval_man

That's what they're for. They're called "dies," aren't they?

That was funny

Originally Posted by Lehigh96

US coins are blah because the relief is too low.

This



has become this



and it is sad! What used to be a stately portrait has become a smirking spaghetti haired freak!

And the designs suck and are boring. The regular coins, the comemerate coins, all the coins. Maybe they should appoint someone from the Smithosian Art museum to design the darn things.

It's definitely time for a new dime and nickel. However I would not want a series, just a completely new design.

I've thought about this for a while. While part of me agrees that it feels kind of blah, I kind of think this...

Maybe it's just blah because we see it every day. I'm sure other countries feel the same about their coinage.

The grass is always greener.

Originally Posted by benne911

It's definitely time for a new dime and nickel. However I would not want a series, just a completely new design.

Why?

Even in 1857, the last year of the half cent, there's never been a US coin with less purchasing power than today's dime. In other words, the 1857 half cent had more purchasing power (in 1857) than today's dime.

What's the purpose of the penny, nickel, and dime? ...to make change? ...why?

I hear..."the consumer will get screwed without these coins"...really!? Did the consumer get screwed in 1857? ..nope. Vendors slightly adjusted portions.

I hear..."I collect pennies, nickels, and dimes...we can't end them!!!" YO! ...wake up! ...if these coins become obsolete, your collections will explode in value!

So, I ask again...why? Why do we need a new nickel and dime? Why do we need pennies, nickels, and dimes at all?

"why do we need....at all."

Americans like every cent we earn.

Originally Posted by tdogchristy90

"why do we need....at all."

Americans like every cent we earn.

...so why not bring back the half cent? ...I love half cents!

I didn't say get rid of them. I said redesign, like when we went from the buffalo to the Jefferson. If they dont I think future generations will stop collecting because there is not an old available design in change to spark an interest (like a new collector finding a wheat in change). Nowadays you can practically get a hundred year old nickel in change, but it's the same as the new change.

Originally Posted by benne911

I didn't say get rid of them. I said redesign, like when we went from the buffalo to the Jefferson. If they dont I think future generations will stop collecting because there is not an old available design in change to spark an interest (like a new collector finding a wheat in change). Nowadays you can practically get a hundred year old nickel in change, but it's the same as the new change.

I wasn't aware that 1938 was 100 years ago...

100 years ago, they had V-Nicks, and those don't look anything like a Jefferson...

I said practically a hundred. But 74 years is excessive for the same design.

Originally Posted by benne911

I didn't say get rid of them. I said redesign, like when we went from the buffalo to the Jefferson. If they dont I think future generations will stop collecting because there is not an old available design in change to spark an interest (like a new collector finding a wheat in change). Nowadays you can practically get a hundred year old nickel in change, but it's the same as the new change.

I think we may be missing the trend of what is going on in the world today. The demand for circulating coinage is decreasing significantly due to debit cards, credit cards, gift cards, online banking, etc. Why would the Mint want to spend money on something that is fading in utility and will most likely become almost obsolete in years to come? This is the electronic age, folks.

As yakpoo said, why would we want to invest time, money and effort into something that is losing its place in the world? If circulating coinage was going to maintain its present level of usage or increase in usage, it would make sense to redesign coins, etc. This, however, is not the case. To believe otherwise is to be fooling ourselves.

I believe the only coins/medals that will have a place in the future from a utility perspective will be bullion and commemoratives. Circulating coinage will someday be used very rarely. When that will be, though, is anyone's guess. However, it seems as though it is inevitable.

Why are U. S. coins so blah? I think it's because (in terms of circulating coins), somebody had the bright idea to stop creating the types of designs that used to be on our coins and decided to replace them with the faces of politicians. In my mind, that was the death knell for attractive coins.