Take a minute to read this. Most people do not care what a coin looks like, save for the...collectors. As collectors, the majority of us do not like the dull and boring designs of today's circulating coinage. So shouldn't the collectibility and desire for today's coins be chosen by collectors, and not government workers? There are 330 million people are in the US. Maybe 1 million collect coins? That's less than 1 percent. One million people urging the mint to change the design. Would that be enough? Ok, so maybe the above was a bit of a ramble. My point is, we collectors should have a say in what our mint does. The mint should not be ran by the government. It should be run by coin collectors, for collectors. Wouldn't it be neat if collectors designed tomorrow's coins? Without the face of a dead president on it? So who else agrees the mint should be publicly run, and all designs mastered by collectors, and voted by collectors. Not just dull, boring designs that we all have to ACCEPT, and collect because there is no other option. Every collector should have a say in how our coins should look. New designs should be voted upon.
yeah me too, that part of his post was just ridiculous.. lol i am bored of the lincoln, washington, jefferson, and rosevelt coins though.. i kinda think its time for a change
seriously??? I think that you miss the entire point of the US Mint. They make coins for commercial transactions. We collect it because we're a little touched in the head. LOL The collectors DO have a say in coinage. It's called The Citizen's Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee and they approve new designs for the Mint. But when you say that coins should be made for collectors, I say that they're not a mint-to-order collectible, they're money. If you want to collect something more under your control, I am sure that The Franklin Mint will make stuff that you can have more input on.
Disagree strongly. This is an issue between Congress and the US Mint. The mint impacts many millions of people who are not coin collectors. If you don't like current designs, do not collect them. Simple.
The problem I see is if there are one million collectors, there would be three million ideas for coin designs.
Oy, why do I keep reading these threads? Tim, the mint's job is to make coins. They do not care about collectors or designs. Their job is to punch out as much money as they can every shift every day.
When it comes to collector coins (or commemorative pieces), I basically agree - those who are supposed to buy them should also have more influence on what they commemorate and depict. Problem is, who is a collector? Would only those who are members of the ANA have a vote? Or members of coin clubs and forums, provided they are US citizens or permanent residents and actually collect 21st century US coins? But even if the above issue can somehow be addressed in a satisfactory way: What about regular circulation coins? I find it presumptuous to say "we collect coins, so we get to decide what you others use every day". Christian
added info. and this is the reason why I collect more world coins than US coins. not putting U.S. coins down because I find many older U.S. coins great. but the vast variety in world coins is so much bigger than U.S. coins. :yes:
This thread raises a few questions for me. First and foremost, are you guys blind ? We have 4 coins that circulate - cents, nickels, dimes and quarters. And in recent years 3 out of 4 of those coins have had their designs changed. Let's see, the last designs for those 3 came in 1909, 1932, and 1938. Since that time there have been 3 campaigns to get the coinage designs changed. I started and led the last of those campaigns, the only one that was successful. Next question, just how often should changes take place ? For also in recent years, 3 out of 3 of those coins have changed designs at least twice. Now I guess the question comes that is the one that really bugs people - what should the designs be changed to ? That is probably the most difficult question to answer because you are always going to get forty eleven different answers. And no matter what answer you settle on the majority of the people are not going to like it because they would have preferred something different. So what to do, what to do, what to do ? Personally, I gave up because the last time I asked we ended up with what I consider a mess that made me wish I had never asked. Which is why there is an old adage that exist that says - be careful of what you ask for, you just might get it. Never really understood that before, but I sure do now !
GD in all fairness we know that you were on the campaign committee back in the early teens to see a change from the Barber designs to the Merc, the SL quarter and the WL half. So you of all people know we can get nice coins under the right principles.
LOL ! No, it was actually even in this century But therein lies the problem does it not ? For who is it that makes the decisions ?
Tim: You may want to consider writing your congressman/congresswoman. https://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/?action=legislation
I disagree with the OP's statement for the most part. I do wish they would allow members of the public to contribute coin designs. The last ten commemorative coin designs have been hideous and boring (in my honest opinion). If the mint were to change the designs of our circulating coinage, it would be sad to see the coins get even uglier and more boring than before.
They did let them design the state quarters. Most of those were also hideous and boring. Remember the WY quarter was the result of of a public design competition.
