In my honest opinion, I think that the modern rendition of Saint Gaudens' striding liberty figure on the obverse of the American Gold Eagle is cheap, tasteless, makes a beautiful design ugly. Since there has been talk of changing the reverse of the American Silver Eagle because the 25 year minimum on coin designs has expired, I think that there should also be talk of changing a cheap and ugly rendition of a beautiful design. I think that the US Mint should adopt a new design on the obverse of all the American Gold Eagle coins that would feature a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt. The portrait of Theodore Roosevelt used would be the bust of Theodore Roosevelt that was used on the Saint Gaudens 1905 Inaugural Medal. Theodore Roosevelt is one of the greatest Presidents that we have had which have not been honored on a regularly issued coin that is issued year after year. I think that is something that should change. It would be fitting if the US Mint made this change starting in 2019, the 100th anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt's death. I would like to know what everyone thinks about these ideas.
No. I don't want a Theodore Roosevelt coin. The regularly issued bullion coins don't have presidents. Let's keep it that way.
Sorry, but I am quite tired of coins bearing effigies of presidents. similarly, I think our paper money has also lost a lot of its appeal, since the FRN was issued. Let's restore the greatness of our coinage and paper with some real artistry . . . maybe even back the currency with, and make the coinage with specie. Now THAT would turn some heads!
I love it too, but I don't like the way that the US Mint has cheapened the design on the AGE. The 2009 UHR was not really cheap, in terms of rendition, compared to the AGE.
IMO, its NOT the Presidents which should be honored but the ideals that the country was founded on. Washington did not want a "man" on the US Coinage since the country had just gotten out from under "the man". LIBERTY should be represented on EVERY US Coin.
Liberty is on each and every current US coin - either as a word, or as a depiction. Also, what George Washington thought about putting the portraits of rulers on coins should be seen in the historical context. At that time, there was no 200+ yr history of presidents; it was either him (which he did not want) or that allegory ... Christian
Okay, I'll rephrase my prior post . . . stop idolizing real people . . . that just makes most feel impotent and unempowered to achieve great things. What should make people feel good about themselves are the things they do, and not how they look. Unfortunately, because it is easier to draw attention with visual cues, than through accomplishment, the masses have given up on achievement, resorting instead to imitating the bubble gum set . . . the Kim Kardashians, Lady Gaga's and Eminems of the world.
Here is an idea. On the obverse the design would depict Lady Liberty in a form that shows that she welcomes all into her country. on the Reverse there will be the Eagle with e pluburus unum along with the symbols of each major religion. This represents that any person is welcome in the United States. Be they poor or rich, black white hispanic or asian, christian muslim jewish or buddhist. Everyone is welcome in the USA. You can move to England but you can't be an englishman, you can move to France but you can't be a Frenchman, you can move to the United States and you can be an American.
Right. Personally, I think that Washington had the right idea in that it was not the MAN that made the country but the ideals that the country was founded on which should be memorialized. It wasn't until the 20th Century "politicians" got into the picture that a "President" was memorialized on a US Coin and even then it was the lowest of all denominations. The Cent. It should have been left that way as the only other countries which symbolize a person on their coins are countries which symbolize their "rulers". Their Kings. Their Queens. Its not the "ruler" or "President" that should be memorialized as much as its the fact the we "CAN" elect our own leader(s) instead or relying upon the leadership of the next doofus to the crown.
So what exactly can we, the community of CoinTalk do to change this? I think we may have just found something worth fighting for. Presidents should not be on coins nor currency. They are not our Kings. There should be a law making depiction of presidents and other historical people on coinage illegal. If George Washington where alive for 1 day he would see that he is on the $1 bill, several commemoratives, and the quarter. He would probably get the impression that he was being worshiped like a God and I'd think he would not like that. If he had he would have been king in his time. I'm sure he would argue that he should not be memorialized on coins and any such propaganda because it was not the man it is the collection of ideas and a fighting american spirit that built this country.
Exactly. By writing about them in History Books which are written to describe what their "country" enabled them to do. You do realize that a lot of folks don't even know whose on what coin much less "why" they are on the coin?
Run for Congress. Go to lot's of Parties. Makes lots of Congressional friends. Do lots of political favors.
Another way of doing this is gaining public support for this. creating a petition and ultimately create a movement significant enough that it gets the attention of the White House. Politicians will not provide change unless it is what the public demands since there main concern is being reelected. You could see the presidents on coinage as a symbol of oppression. They symbolize that these men built the country, ran and controlled the country. Is this an accurate symbol of what the United States is about? I don't think so. The United States is about Freedom, not oppression.
