Yes I'm Complaining

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I do, I think it can be done...I think the biggest problem is a lack of desire at the government level, especially when you consider they would have to remove a President (as you said before).

But, there are examples of simple yet beautiful designs from the past. One example in my opinion is the Draped Bust design used back around 1800. It was fairly simple but gorgeous at the same time.

I think it could be done...I just don't know if it would be.

 

Good point about the Draped Bust, and I think there are other older examples as well. I guess the key word in all we have been discussing recently is "desire" of those in a position to bring about change.

 

For the back-and-forth part I enjoy it very much also and my thanks to you and all others for participating. When you use the word "allegorical", are you saying we need something more symbolic, something more defining of our nation? You are right great leaders such as Lincoln and FDR do come and go. Problem is in our nation no dead President does any "going" once on a coin.

I don't think anyone would disagree that no matter what coin would be redesigned there would be those that would not like it. Many of the coins we here on Coin Talk collect and think are beautiful were not well rec'd by the public and critics when introduced. I don't think history will repeat itself in this area with the coins now in production. I firmly think the "dead president" mode we are in currently will be a topic of "what were they thinking" by future generations of coin collectors.

I've mentioned this before on another thread that about a year or so ago I read all coins were going to be reviewed by some committee for possible changes. I think I read it on the net somewhere in a published article. Have never heard anything about it since.

 

Yeah, by 'allegorical' I do mean something more symbolic. I placed it in the single quotes as I had seen another CT member in a recent discussion on paper currency use that descriptor and I agreed with how it neatly defined the aspects that current currency is lacking or has lost since the introduction of Presidential portraits on notes and coins.

Perhaps an apt thing regarding coin design and an argument that might ensue with pleasing everyone with new designs would be to quote a phrase that Abraham Lincoln himself was famous for stating that "you can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time." seems appropriate to this topic and ironic given his own presence since being placed in coins and notes.

Perhaps I should expand my comments regarding the design review process in government to include that I meant the existence of the review alone is a great thing. That we do not live in a country whose leaders come to power only to promote themselves through currency and use it for tyranny and control like dictators and pagan empires of the past had done is a difference in US numismatic history to nations the world over. The tendency to be stuck in memorials to dead leaders is a slip in that direction and while acceptable for the the past century, it does seem that we are on the cusp of moving on from currency dominated by such figures. I hope this to be the case and I think we can push the point to replace the type of symbols currently in use. They served us well both in life and immortality, they have faces on mountains and halls on the mall, now let us move forward. I think most of these men on our coins and notes would agree with the sentiment.

 

Lets get rid of Lincoln on the penny and put Ronald Reagan on it. Traci ;o)

 

As much as I would want ideals on coins, like Liberty and Freedom, Ronald Reagan sounds great...

 

LOL... I knew you would like that one T. Traci

 

Yes, a round up of 80s political celebs and perhaps freshly expired pop stars would make a great forthcoming proof set... start saving!

 

Oh, God! Please No!!!! Not another dead president!!! can we please get a design that has a figure instead of a real person? Can we just get a beautiful design again? It's all I'm asking for.

 

That is all any of us are asking for.
As much as I love Regan... I'd rather have a beautiful design on a coin... Bring back the Walker, or the standing liberty, something beautiful...

 

let's not bring back anything, unless you want to on gold or silver or platinum, but how about some new designs depicting Liberty. New ideas, not taking a step backward but taking inspiration from it.

 

Didn't the French keep some nice designs up till the Euro came out , I don't think the harder planchets we use today would be that big a problem that it couldn't be overcome with the technology of today .
Also wasn't there a law stating the designs must be changed every 30 or so years ?

rzage:whistle:

 

there's a law that says that after 25 years the secretary of the treasury may, at his/her own discretion, change the design on any coin.

 

I'd have no problem with that... But I'd rather have the older designs than what we have now

 

I have to agree with Mike , we have enough talented artists , who can think up new Miss Liberties , look at some of the beautiful Modern commemeratives , though there are some old patterns that were truly beautiful that we could use .
rzage

 

I would rather have "dead" presidents represented on our coinage than live ones. But I would rather have idealizations of certain virtues more than portraits of political figures.

I live in Illinois, and I think Lincoln was an archetype of american life, but the first coin to be changed should be the penny, I think it should be made of aluminum, it should represent liberty, I think the motto In God We Trust should be included I do not worry as much about the e pluribus unum motto being included, I think that if the penny design can be changed the rest would be easier to change.

There are tons of people who study and write about Lincoln, they would try to keep Lincoln on the coinage, I think that if Lincoln was around he would prefer Miss Liberty on the penny rather than his own mug.

I have heard that after this year the penny will have a redesign, so it may be a good time to let the treasury secretary know that the time is right to bring back some of the classical elements of american coinage.

 

I have no doubt that it could be overcome...but I fear that to overcome it it would require more quality control. Probably more pressure and more frequently replace dies. That would increase costs and I don't know if we are willing to do that.

 

As this discussion evolves to what if changes were made in the designs, lets all keep in mind that we need to be careful what we ask for...we might get it! :smile