Top Three Worst Coin Designs

How can somebody not like the Buffalo Nickel???
I cannot believe that was posted as a top 3 worst design.

 

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I wouldn't say ugly, just not so great of design.
Barber
V nickel
2 cent

 

I can't believe the Saint Gaudens Double Eagle is in this thread! In my opinion, that is the most beautiful coin of all time.

Here's my list of ugliest:

1. Ike Dollar
2. Susan B Anthony
3. Roosevelt Dime

List of prettiest:

1. Saint Gaudens Double Eagle
2. Mercury Dime
3. Matte Proof Lincoln Cents


I was seriously torn between the Roosevelt Dime and the Washington Quarter....as both of them are pretty ugly.

 

All presidential dollars
Shield cent
3 cent nickel

The reverse of the IKE keeps it off the list, and I can't put SBA on since it is the same (even if the design dosn't show well since it it too small, it is not the coin's fault).

 

I expected a little hate on Barbers and SL coinage, (though no one has mentioned that one yet). These are usually because they are mostly found well worn. In AU/BU they are very attractive coins.

My list:

3. Most modern US commemoratives, (looks like 6 year olds designed them)
2. SBA
1. Ikes

Sorry, but that is such a large coin, and all you have on the whole obverse is an ultra low relief bald man in boring profile? Really? That is how creative this country is? A buffalo nickle has more design fit onto it than this entire huge dollar. To me, I think the technocrats are running the mint, sucking all of the creativity out in the name of ease of production.

 

The Shield nickel was thought to be ugly when it came out. I like it personally. Does anyone know why they took the rays off of the early shields? I know arrows in the Seated Libs indicated weight change. Was that the reason for the rays on the nickel - to indicate weight change from the lighter half dime? Just a guess.
Anyway...back to the original post. The Buffalo nickel was a bad idea, I think. I'm tired of the same designs. For my entire life, it's been the same designs on all of the most-used coins (Quarter, Dime, nickel and cent) until, of course, the State Quarter program. But it's still Washington. I'd like to see Theodore Roosevelt on a coin (besides the Dollar). Washington is already on the Dollar Bill. Replace him on the Quarter. Lincoln is already on the $5 bill. Put someone else on the cent, or on the bill. Give another ex-president some sunshine. lol.

 

The rays led to premature cracking of the dies. Nickel is a very hard metal, and that extra design element was just destroying dies. All shields it is easy to find die cracks, but they are even more prevalent on rays issues.

 

I sense a troll

However, if you do in fact hate barbers, I hate you and everything you stand for!

 

1. State Quarters - the most wretched coins ever to circulate.
2. Presidential Dollars - so boring they make me cry.
3. Many modern commemoratives - especially ones minted for the Olympics, with the exception of 1984.
4. New Jefferson Nickels - he looks so ghastly, and those eyes! They haunt me.

I also agree with doug21, I hold a deep grudge against any coin that replaced a masterpiece: Washington quarters, Roosevelt dimes, Franklin halves, and by extension Kennedy halves.

 

*rolls up sleeves*

Them's fightin' words.

 

Like I said, a ton of people hate SL design too. I personally think low grade barber coins are boring and ugly, but thats unfair since they are well designed coins that could take such wear, and personally feel are somewhat attractive in high grade.

Having said that, they are not my favorites either. Maybe they would be looked at more favorably if they hadn't been replaced by arguably the most attractive set of coins this nation has ever produced.

 

Since this is about the worst coin designs, not just U.S., it should then go back to the beginning of "coinage", including when stones were used for this purpose.

I believe in classical beauty, therefore, women on coins should be beautiful, men should be strong, at least, in features, if not living up to the standards of classical art.

It follows, therefore, that coinage that violates these principles is not just badly designed as coin, but also bad art.

The topic is too vast to be addressed here. Paul Fussell's book, "Bad", does a good job of addressing bad culture; giving honor to those who are narcissistic, taudrey, unattractive or vain or fraudulent and symbols that are questionable in terms of traditional standards. Much of life falls into such a category and hence the coinage too.

 

The police are on their way for a raid, with the ATF, the local SWAT unit, Homeland Security, around the clock monitoring of all, and I mean all communications, even vapors emanating from your residence. If I were you I would head for the hills....

 

Normally I am a troll but seriously Barber's coins are extremely ugly.

 

The tails side of a wheat penny. Two stalks of wheat? What is that supposed to represent? The bounty of the land? Second choice would be the reeded edge halves, that neck is just way too long.

 

Deleted

 

Sorry. I will delete.