Given recent trends in US postage stamps, and the success of things like the Harry Potter and Batman stamps, can you see the Mint ever taking a similar path with commemoratives? To me, the staid coinage of the United States is increasingly out of touch and irrelevant to our infantilistic population, who are not even grown up enough to save any money, let alone collect it. Considering the success of the Baseball Hall of Fame coin, I think the Mint could experience amazing mainstream sales by: (Moderately Crass) - producing coins with less historically substantial American pop culture figures like Michael Jackson, KISS, or Robert De Niro (Outrageously Crass) - producing coins with fictional characters, like Batman, Superman, or Snoopy Or, what if they did a series featuring the top ten American films? Does this mortify you and make you sick? Do you think it is at all possible or likely?
I think they should sell pop culture product ads on coins. For example, the reverse of the Washington quarter could show the yum yum bowl of SpagettiOs the mint used to model George Washington's head with. They could even melt the SpagettiOs can down and put some of it in the first thousand strikes and sell those as "first can" issues.
Snoopy is definitely out. The heirs of the Schulz estate would never go for it without humongous royalties. Chris
The Mint should put a Washington quarter inside 5,500 cans of Spaghetti O's with a submission certificate on the inside of the label guaranteeing natural toning from one of the basement slabbers. Chris
People will definitely pay major premiums for NGC First Can Strike slab labels which feature a can of SpaghettiOs.
(Outrageously Crass) - producing coins with fictional characters, like Batman, Superman, or Snoopy.. Way ahead of ya!
There are quite a few Snoopy "coins" out there. Issued by or on behalf of the usual suspects (British V.I., Niue ...) but they do have a face value. Christian
Wow... because they are of no interest to me personally (particularly colorized... blech!), I did not realize those were government issued. I thought they were just licensed private rounds from like, Franklin Mint or something. This could happen in the USA? And what the heck does Canada have to do with Superman and Snoopy?! (No offense intended, my Canadian friends)
Until the ISIS issues their own Snoopy coins, we will have to do with this: Elvis Presley U.S. Army Service Colorized Coin, (December 2011)
The US mint's lineup of modern commems is already saturated with crud. Therefore, I can actually see them coming up with even more crappy commems in order to squeeze every dime they can from every conceivable demographic imaginable. That said, I'll stick to the classic junk.
Something Canada has done that the US has rarely if ever done... I would like to see the US mint a proof set and even a "premium silver proof set" of historical coinage, maybe even different designs over a few years. In 2015, a proof set with Capped bust coinage, in 2016, a proof set with seated liberty, in 2017 a barber set, etc.
Perth Mint is offering Walt Disney coins. Personally, I'm glad the U.S. Mint doesn't offer these types of bullion pieces. I don't like many of the recent commem's either, but I certainly don't want to see them release these types of coins either.
