The coins from the U.S. Mint seem to be getting more and more boring over the years. Anymore, I personally love looking at some of the silver and gold coming from Canada and Australia. I really like Canada's grizzly $1 silver, as well as their Sasquatch. They're both doing much better than the u.s. mint, and I really hope someone does something about it
I'm inclined to agree, with a couple of exceptions... I still think the obverse of the ASE is gorgeous, if dated...and I think the reverses of some of the ATB quarters are truly stunning, particularly in silver.
I tend to agree with you. Just hope the mint doesn't go crazy like the post office has done with the stamps.
I've always like the Polish mint the most. However, I don't have the slightest idea as to how I buy from them.
Well with the release of the 2011 September 11 National Medal, which is really a travesty and not worth $66.95 IMO, I agree with you. The Mint has slipped badly.
I've heard some complaints from long-time Canadian collectors in the same vein. I think this is a classic example of what a previous poster stated as "the grass always seems greener on the other side". In fact, in another post on another forum site the Royal Canadian Mint was compared to the Franklin Mint (not by me) in that they continue to create less than thoughtful commemorative coins, and they spend more time marketing their multiple strikes of coins than doing the proper design homework (again these sentiments are not my own, as I only dabble in Canadian coins). Now for my own thoughts, I will say that I think there was a huge shift in mentality of the US Mint when they introduced the first "commemorative" type circulation coins of the State Quarters Series in 1999. That move was a substantial one, now producing 5 designs of the quarter in a single calendar year. I was less than impressed with many of the designs (Wyoming, Ohio, and New Mexico come to mind). No longer was the mint focused on minting a classic design, but was aiming to expand the collector base (and ultimately increasing seignorage profits). The pinnacle of this mentality occurred in 2009, when the mint produced 4 cent design, 1 nickel design, 1 dime design, 6 quarter designs, 1 half design, and 5 $1 coin designs (for a whopping 18 different circulating coin designs -- 36 different coins if you separate them into mint marks). Because the mint also was producing the "Satin Finish" collector mint coins in the year 2009, the different designs, mint marks, and finishes (business vs. satin) accounted for 72 different non-proof coins. Needless to say, that kind of output tends to splinter one's attention into too many pieces. Nonetheless, there are still a few "winners" in my mind. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I like the Sacagawea (and more recent Native American) Dollar series. I thought it was a shame when they supplemented $1 coin production with the somewhat imperialistic Presidential $1 series, and the designs of the Pres. $1 are mostly zombie-looking spaghetti-haired portraits that leave much to be desired. But, the Sac $1 series I like. I also like the new Shield cent. Many call it too simplistic, but honestly it's no more simplistic than the IHC reverse...and sometimes simple (but well designed) is good. Finally, the Roosevelt dime design has been with us unchanged since 1946, and the Kennedy half dollar has gone unchanged since 1964. So, these two are "classics" among the moderns that I personally like. All in all, I think there is something for everyone in the US Moderns. I don't like them all, but there are some diamonds in the rough that when you focus on them (as a set) they become very interesting.
SO true. Everything is so great elsewhere, everything so bad here. Gawd, it's tiring. And typical. And ubiquitous.
I tend to agree that the US mint designs have been lackluster lately. I do think they did a nice job with the Medal of Honor commems. though.
It's just a shame that most of the designs are mandated by the political process rather than artistic merit.
As others have said the US Mint does have some nice designs and some real dogs. Same with the Canadian Mint. I do think that the mint will be changing(hopefully for the better!) in the next few years given the increasing costs associated with some of the coins and their focus on more and better designers and artists. I would like to see them create some really nice classic designs, like bringing back some of the all time greats like the Merc or IHC obverse for example. Maybe some tasteful modern designs. I'd love to get away from using dead presidents on coin as it has been used for too long and gotten kinda boring.
I think most every mint has its great coins and its snoozers, be it the U. S., Canada, Australia, etc. The U. S. Mint does seem to have an extraordinary obsession with dead politicians and war-related topics, though, as compared with some other mints. As mentioned previously, the Mint of Poland has some appealing coins. Also, the Mexican mint has some definite stunners; the Libertad, the Aztec Calendar and some beautiful commemoratives.
It used to be that coin designs had a complete makeover every generation or so...+/- 26 years. Our coin designs are old and the coins are worthless. I would really like to see new coins with current designs that express our ideals of Liberty in the 21st century...I could do without the dead presidents for a while. I would like to see reasonablely sized coins with "some" silver that we can actually spend (buy things...not just accept as change). That would mean a $5, $10, and $20 coin. Now that would be something to collect!! :thumb: (think about it...the quarter in 1964 could buy about $3-$4 worth of stuff today. Why shouldn't we have coins of similar value?) Lincoln Cent (going away) :grandpa: Obv: 102 years old Rev: 52 years old Jefferson Nickel (temporary design changes) :grandpa: Obv: 68 years old Rev: 73 years old Roosevelt Dime :grandpa: Obv: 65 years old Rev: 65 years old Washington Quarter (temporary design changes...legislation requires old reverse after the ATB series ends) :grandpa: Obv: 79 years old Rev: 79 years old Kennedy Half :apu: Obv: 47 years old Rev: 47 years old
I agree with you. From a circulation standpoint, some of our coins are meaningless. We definitely could do without the penny and maybe even the nickel. I also would like to see some multi-dollar coins with some silver in them in circulation. Of course, with no freaking politicians on them either! Some of our early commemorative coins had some great designs and did it without a politician anywhere on them. Imagine that!
The problem with the designs oozing from the Mint lately are based solely on the fact that they're made by committee and by political design and not by artistic freedom of thought. No group of tenured congressmen sitting in a room will ever create another standing liberty quarter or buffalo nickel design, because they're uninspired by the thought of money being art. So, we'll have the same old stale heads on coins and cut and paste art on paper probably for the rest of our days. Guy
