US coinage was once beautifull/ now not so much.

A good example is the Lincoln Cent/ compare that to the Indian Head and Flying Eagle cents.....
or the modern Quarter to oldertypes

 

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Wholeheartedly agree with this. The statements being made with older US coinage were far different than the message today.... But even deeper than that to my mind is the lack of a human touch. To my eyes a CNC design lacks character somehow. It's just too sterile looking to me.

 

That also goes for Canada/ Germany/ France....
The UK still has some older more beautifull designs. Same for cars/ compare a 67 427/435HP Corvette to the modern one. Change is not always good.....

 

Designs for U.S. circulating coins have gone through cycles of beauty and beast. I think late 19th century was the worst. Teddy Roosevelt said it best in a letter to his secretary of the treasury, “I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness.” The result was the stunning designs of the early 20th century. Now we’re in the era of ODPs (old dead presidents) where any real change to obverses would bring screams that we’re disrespecting heroes. The portraits are pretty good, but they’ve been on the coins long enough … time to move on.

Cal

 

The Barber designs were weak. But the Mercury dime, Buffalo nickel, SLQ, Walker half are among the best of the American coins.

 

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Thanks for sharing those beauties @panzerman

 

It seems that the committee that dictates what designs are used, has a lobbyist pushing the agenda. They also are being pushed to issue designs that will promote the sale of collectibles so the government benefits.
Maybe in todays "hurry up and get it done" atmosphere, they just grab at the first designs that land on the table.

 

The early Lincoln Cents were miniature works of art. The modern rendition... isn't.

 

I agree wholeheartedly

 

Me too!

 

My quote to the above did not quite work out as planned. Sorry about that.

 

I agree. I prefer all designs prior to dead presidents.
Though the Barber series was a bit dull even the AU+ pieces were preferable to any of our modern series.

 

Chevy has really lost it roots with the corvette, my sister had a beautiful 1970
with a 454, just like a rocket ship and classic design, a friend of mine had a 1967
with a try-power 427 both super nice

The corvettes of today though much faster they actually look like Ferraris
and with the mid engine, just like the Europeans

My son raced one the other day and polished it good, but when your driving a Tesla
plaid and running 9.23@155 on the street you tend to have a good win loss record...LOL

 

I said the same thing to a friend only this morning and we weren’t even talking about coins

 

I always thought Barbers and any coin design after WW2 were ugly.

 

I tend to agree with this statement, until you look at the ASE, AGE, gold buffalo and the 1/10 gold mercury dime. I think those are the exception. Those coins/bullion are beautiful IMO. I know those were not IFC, but they do have face value as a technicality.

 

Designs must be politicly correct.

 

I wish we could go back to having Miss Liberty on some of our coinage.

 

So do I but there is one modern coin that has a Mrs. Liberty on it. She looks skinny, frail and weak. I want a strong Mrs. Liberty on my coins.