You all know that the mint recently began putting the date, the mint mark, "In God We Trust," and "E Pluribus Unum, on the edge of presidential dollars. In my opinion, this is just a major pain in the rear end. There are a couple of reasons why. 1. It takes more than the usual glance to find the date and mint mark, you have to look at the side, and turn the coin until you get to the mint mark. 2. You can't see the side of the coin in all storage methods. 2x2s for instance, only show the obverse and reverse, and to see the side, you would have to take the coin out of the 2x2. What do you all think?
I don't care for it myself. I think it's neat on old coins, but I feel like the modern coins aren't done will. The lettering is hard to read at times, they seem to have done it with minimal interest in doing a good job. I don't mind how it affects storage and display of coins...I just wish they had done a nice job with it and IMHO they didn't.
If it is that much of an inconvenience, then don't collect the Presidential dollars. It is what it is. It might be better to collect a coin series that requires a shorter attention span.
Wow - kind of uncalled for. He wanted your opinion on edge lettering not their collecting habits. Why couldn't you just say - I like edge lettering rather than attacking the OP. So it makes me wonder who really has the shorter attention span - since from the time you read the original post to your response you forgot the question. Sigh.
Basically I like edge lettering. For example, all commems from the Federal Republic of Germany have an issue-specific motto on the edge. Once in a while (with certain collector coins) the mints get playful and, instead of a mintmark, minimal variations of one edge letter say where a piece is from. The €2 pieces from DE have the first words of the national anthem on the edge. On the other hand ... well, if the US wants to have religious mottos on coins, that is their business, but I'd very much prefer to have the variable elements - date and mintmark - on the obverse or reverse. At least some of the "invariable" parts, as E Pluribus Unum and/or In God We Trust and/or Liberty, should rather be on the edge. Christian
Thank you for your comment but you seem to be confusing a suggestion with an attack. I merely suggested a less stressful series since the Pres dollars seemed to cause him some discomfort. It was a constructive comment. Your response to me was much more of an attack than my response to him..but it's ok...some folks like just like to type. Have a nice day.
I like edge lettering, but like what was mentioned earlier, the moderns seem to have skipped any quality that the early coins had in regards to this method. Why is it I can clearly read the edge lettering of a 185 year old VF bust half without getting a headache, but a 2008 Pres dollar in BU right out of a fresh roll I can barely read and the lettering is pathetically inscribed with little detail or attention to quality? Guy~
edge......................................... ............the edge of the coin is for handling............NOT for lettering!!
Aside from the good point that you make that the lettering actually does suck, there is an additional problem that the coins, IMO, are too small for what they are trying to do. Ruben
