Nominations open for Ugliest Coin Design

Discussion in 'World Coins' started by laurentyvan, Dec 31, 2016.

  1. laurentyvan

    laurentyvan Active Member

    Any era, any country (except US-we would be inundated with state quarters).

    Obverse and reverse-can't have just one ugly side.

    What is ugly? In the eye of the beholder perhaps, but you have to have reasons
    backing up your selection and be prepared to articulate them.
    An unflattering portrait doesn't count-this is about overall design. Ugly based on
    crude or poor minting methods shouldn't count either.

    For me it's KM#940 10 Francs 1974-1987 which I've hated since it came out. The obverse is much too busy, with a stylized outline of the country, a highly ornate RF, a sunburst from the location of Paris and other small symbols which add to the clutter. The reverse has always suggested to me (for some reason) Ayn Rand. The Art Deco factory profile leaves me cold. That, combined with a flat strike and the awful marriage of Nickel-Brass (which I think resembles you-know what when it tones) are the reasons for my selection.

    IMG_0030.JPG IMG_0031.JPG
     
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  3. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin-Totally unattractive and fully rejected by US citizens.
     
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  4. And I thought that US coins were ugly...... phew!
    The reverse makes me think of an industrial poster of some sort.
    I don't see how anything can top this one.....
     
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  5. chascat

    chascat Well-Known Member

    Obv. on Jefferson 5c is very ugly! Probably designed in low relief in an effort to extend die life.
     
  6. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Really? I like the design, one of the few I got as a kid when I started collecting and actually kept & still own!


    Special Olympics Half Dollar with Eunice Kennedy Shriver is one of the ugilest coins, ever!

    [​IMG]
     
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  7. chascat

    chascat Well-Known Member

    Kinda looks like Ludwig van Beethoven.
     
  8. baseball21

    baseball21 Well-Known Member

    The 1999 Canadian Quarter that had the childs drawing on the back
     
    rooman9 likes this.
  9. H8_modern

    H8_modern Attracted to small round-ish art

    I think it looks like Eric Roberts
    [​IMG]
     
    green18 likes this.
  10. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    read a Coin World article where someone described the obverse as "corpse-like" LOL
     
  11. Poor Eunice makes even SBA look attractive.
     
  12. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    I'm not a fan of the Barber dime, quarter and half designs.

    I never knew the obverse was a female liberty... It always looked like a man to me.
     
    Rushmore likes this.
  13. Gilbert

    Gilbert Part time collector Supporter

    Unlike the smaller dollar coins that some day might get circulated, the Ike dollar is visually unappealing and too heavy for circulation.
     
  14. chascat

    chascat Well-Known Member

    Or maybe even Fabio!
     
  15. Mike Nielsen

    Mike Nielsen Active member

     
  16. Mike Nielsen

    Mike Nielsen Active member

  17. laurentyvan

    laurentyvan Active Member

    Another one that almost made the list:

    [​IMG]
     
  18. old49er

    old49er Well-Known Member

  19. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    I'd like to nominate Niue and Tuvalu. Which coin you ask? Pretty much all of them.
     
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  20. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    That was so savage I think we need to call an anthropologist
     
    Paul M. likes this.
  21. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    Seriously, do a google image search for "tuvalu coins" and "niue coins." It's not pretty. (Just FYI, one of the Tuvalu coins has a spider on it.) Tuvalu's circulation coinage is okay, but their zillions of gimmicky "commemoratives"... ugh.
     
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