The selection Process for US Coin Designs

How does the US determine its coins designs? We seem to consistently produce poor design. What has changed between now and the turn of the 20th Century?

 

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Roosevelt died.

 

Politicians began to think it was a great idea to put the mugs of other politicians on coins instead of the symbols of American values.

 

Ccac

.

 

@treehugger: That would affect one side only. But who knows, maybe there have always been coin collectors who found contemporary designs awful and only appreciated what was made at least 100 years ago ...

Christian

 

Christian,

To me, it's like finding a hair in your food. The rest of the dish might be perfectly fine, but you know that little hair is there and it ruins your appetite for the entire thing anyway.

I'm willing to bet there will never be a dead politician's face that will inspire as much as Saint-Gaudens' Lady Liberty.

 

Many thought the design of the Morgan was ugly.

 

I believe that the problem today is that everything is design by committee. That is never a good way to produce art.

 

I still do, except for the reverse.

 

I rarely disagree with you but the only power the CCAC has is the power of suggestion.

 

Actually, the reverse would better if the eagle's neck didn't look like a turkey neck, but hey that's just me.

 

+1

 

This was the first link when googling "CCAC picks"

http://numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=6167

You'll notice that their Lincoln pick is not our Lincoln Dollar. If the CCAC had their way, TR would be on the ATB quarters.

+ From the article:
"CCAC'S recommendations will be forwarded to the Secretary of the Treasury, along with recommendations from the Commission of Fine Arts. The Secretary's decision will be announced later this year."

Both agencies have not always agreed. "Recommending" is a lot different from "approving," the latter implying some power over the matter.

 

Here's an interesting one:

http://news.coinupdate.com/ccac-rev...gressional-gold-medal-design-candidates-0850/

+ Another thing about the process is that the agency is not involved in the process that creates the designs that they are voting on. I think that's a pretty important part if you're assessing what actually gets minted.

 

Actually, that would have been a very appropriate idea, as Teddy was a great champion of our natural beauty. Not to mention a nice break from the same old, same old.

I was referring to what Ladies First said about the committee placing TR on the ATB quarters.

 

+ the reason we have the National Park System at all!

 

I completely agree and I cannot opin that what committees approve is art, but rather trash. I am more concerned that we have replaced the idealistic impressions of our ancestors with political gods that are far from ideal whence you know their personal histories.

I much prefer to see an idealised image of Lady Liberty over any politician - especially the politically expedient 20th century types that got added in without much forethought - Roosevelt and Kennedy.

 

I will say TR on the ATB would be more appropriate than GW.