Presidential dollars are ugly and I hate them <3

Is it just me, or does anyone else hate the presidential dollars? They are an ugly color, with ugly designs, and all over ugly. They come across to me as arcade tokens. They aren't anywhere near as well designed as other US coins. The only thing I like about them is the 3rd side. Sorry if I offend any of you, but it's just my opinion.

 

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I think not a lot of thought went into their design. But, in their time the seated liberty, capped bust and barber designs were all viewed as hideous by the general public...all coins we gawk over now.
Guy

 

Hate?

 

What's the point in starting threads about things you hate? It's much more constructive to talk about what you like

 

I just wanted to see some other's opinions on the coin. I havn't found many discussions about it. (not that I've looked a whole lot) Just venting I guess. When I made this thread I was grasping a John Adams dollar

 

Exactly WHAT did you expect? I mean seriously, exactly WHAT can you do with a coin design that gets changed 5 times a year other than a Presidential Portrait?

IMO, the designs show much more creativity than the current Jefferson Nickels or even the Roosevelt Dimes. Oh heck why limit it. The Lincoln Cent design is just Plain AND totally undersireable! The Kennedy has been so heavily modified over the years to conform to high speed/low profile production that it's a faint shadow of what it once was. Even the proofs are stark jokes with their low profiles and artificial Cameo frost!

But then, thats modern coinage which, in another 50 years, folks may actually appreciate. They're still made of metal after all.

 

I always thought the back of the Presidential Dollar looked more like a subway token ... not a U.S. coin.

I also don't like the back of the new Sac Dollar, but loved the old back of the Sac. before the change 2000-2008 I think.

I really wish the U.S. Mint would bring in some new and fresh talent.

 

Adams Dollars happen to be my favorite coin of all time. But thats another story..

 

Great point. From what I've read, almost every coin the US mint has come out with from the 18th century on, was initially hated by the public. Some more so than others. Many we treasure today as the classics.

Another great point. At least they've ventured into the realm of more 3D designs. If they continued on with side shots like all we had for decades, they'd be criticized for that. There's only so much you can do with a coin blank.

I like the new cent design. The shield is like an old theme with a modern look. It could have been a lot worse! I think you can count on the fact that people 100 years down the road will likely treasure the designs we have now.

 

I like the new pence. It's simple but bold.

Why can't the dollars have as much thought as the state quarters? I mean, some of those aren't as great as others, but some are very cool in my opinion. Spice up the presidents or something.

 

I have no big problem with them. It's not like there's a lot of people looking at them anyways.

If I was the one making the call on the designs though, I would have made them more like the simple and classic Lincoln cents or Washington quarters (just a profile).

 

They do, about every two years. It's called the artist infusion program. Unfortunately with the exception of one guy in the first year of the program, all of the artists brought on board have been specializing to two dimensional art. And with the relief on the coins getting flatter and flatter, there may be a reason they want two dimensional artists.

 

I would like...........a million of them .

 

I hate 'em too!

Sorry, but "hate" is EXACTLY the feeling I have for the presidential dollars. The designs are uninspiring (more presidential heads! - ugh!) and the theme (worshipping politicians) is not one I personally care for.

I should also add that the devices all look like they were drawn by a robot using a PC graphics program. They are too "perfect" for my taste. I prefer designs that were drawn by a free hand - they simply look more natural.

Lastly, why can't the mint go back to using allegorical images of "LIBERTY" - the value our nation was founded upon? All this worship of dead presidents naseates me. It reminds me of people bowing and scraping before the crowned heads of Europe - which is something we fought a revolution to bring an end to in this country.

 

I don’t necessarily hate the presidential dollars, but I don’t consider myself much of a fan either.

The SBA dollars I liked because they had a historical woman figure on the obverse, but I believe they could have done a better job at depicting her...when I was younger and first saw the coin I thought it was a portraying a witch.

The Ike dollars I absolutely love because of the reverse – I think that is one of the most beautiful designs found on modern coinage! I believe there is nothing more powerful and visually stunning as an eagle landing on the moon.

I really liked the Sacagawea dollars because once again a historical woman figure was depicted on the obverse, and I thought it was about time for the U.S. Government to show some respect to the Native Americans – even if it was through a small action such as putting a Native American on the dollar coin. Obviously, the latter part is heavily influenced by the fact that I am part Native American. Finally, the flying eagle on the back was another powerful and visually stunning image in my opinion, and I agree with WingedLiberty that the older Sacagawea dollar reverses were far more appealing than the newer reverses that change annually.

In short, I think ConfederateHalf sums it up nicely by stating “Lastly, why can’t the mint go back to using allegorical images of “LIBERTY” – the value our nation was founded upon? All this worship of dead presidents nauseates me. It reminds me of people bowing and scraping before the crowned head of Europe – which is something we fought a revolution to bring an end to in this country.”

 

me too!

i am mostly French-English & Scotch-Irish ... but with a small amount of American Indian (Blackfoot Tribe) thrown in there ... most of us are "mutts" here in the U.S.



In my opinion ...



The best new coin design of this decade (why they dropped this stunning design is beyond me) ... A soaring eagle in full flight ... look at those feathers and wing tips ... also an inspried inner positioning of the 13 stars ... i think this is the first US coin with stars not on the very outer perimeter (innovative and new!) ... this is (or I should say, was) just jaw droppingly beautiful and inspiring.




A subway token (looks so cheap that it doesnt even look like a U.S. coin) ... Are you seriously going to put a "$1" on the back of a coin? Are you kidding me? While you are at it, why not just scribble "A Buck" on the back and be done with it. Could they have made this look any more cheap? Just to clarify, I dont mind the statue of liberty part of the design just the lettering part is so bad, uninspired, and uninteresting.




Whoever designed the flying eagle back of the old Sac. Dollar should be put in charge of all the U.S. Mint designs, he or she is the ONLY person on the U.S. Mint staff with any talent at all. The rest of them are all hacks.

 

What happened to the law where an eagle had to be on the reverse of our major coins .

 

The portraits of the earlier presidents come from existing paintings, and profiles could not be made easily.

 

I was just checking what the US Mint said about presidential coin design. I am fairly sure that the early presidents are restricted by existing portraits, busts, or limited photographs (generally an existing portrait is modified to better fit the requirements of the mint). It turns out that congress mandated the design on the reverse and much of the other aspects of the coin's design. For reference this is the link to the bill issuing the coin. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi...=109_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ145.109.pdf

For myself, my interest in these coins began when three of the least effective presidents came out on the dollar (Fillmore, Pierce, and Buchanan). As a history buff, I could not believe that Buchanan was "honored" this way. He and the other two's policies are some of the reasons for the Cival War.

 

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I think all your negative comments are overly simple and lazy. One of the first words little kids learn is "no" and most grow up never learning the beauty of "yes" and how many more opportunities come with the affirmative. I am guilty of complaining that there are too many new design to keep up with, but then I remember how few there were my first thirty years of collecting.
In 1979 I saw the first SBA and thought they could have done better with the design, but I have two sets because they were minted in my country and because the Red Book is not a popularity contest. I rented a house in Boulder for a couple of years at that same time. A couple of decades later Glenna Goodacre lived in that house while she created the Sacagawea dollar. I would have considered that eagle reverse my most favorite anyway, but the story makes it that more special and I wish I could make her acquaintance.

Have you ever googled images of one or another president? Basically all variations of the same small handful painted or photographed way back when that all more or less look like the guy. What do you want, a Buchanan that looks as good as George Cloonie? I know Washington didn't want his likeness placed on coins because he didn't want to be seen as the potentates he fought to eliminate, but 235 years later is it possible to look at the likeness of a president and honor their contribution to the value and growth of our beloved country instead of equating president with king? The President Dollar series has given me the opportunity to review and learn each man's life story and my series album has a companion volume with two-page history and pictures of each. I'm enjoying the research and showing it off that I'm thinking about doing the same for each ATB quarter and if I really have a lot of time going back to the first statehood series. Knowing the story behind the coin either makes a worthy design better or makes a less desirable design more tolerable.

I think the Liberty reverse is clean, fresh and beautiful because I have had this thing for the famous statue since her centennial in 1986. I always thought edge lettering was cool (before my eyes got old) and was in favor of leaving all the mottoes there to spite all those too blind to see. The token-ish look bothered me until I realized that a picture is worth a thousand words and the picture is the honor and value we place in what stands behind the currency. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?