Here is an interesting scenario: You've just gotten a letter in the mail stating that you are in charge of creating the Semiquincentennial coin designs. This includes the nickel, the dime, all 5 quarters, the half dollar, and a special-issue proof cent. The thing is, you have some designs in mind but only 14 days to reply. What designs are your choice for the 250th anniversary coins? All I can say is, they ought to make a colorized proof set to top it all off. On a side note, I also think a 50th anniversary silver dollar and half dollar should be made as a tribute to "Weird Al" Yankovic - next year will be 50 years since he recorded the song "Belvedere Cruisin" and sent it in to Dr. Demento's show to be played. I don't care what the price is, I'd buy it since I'm a big fan of Al. Yes, the idea of a coin for this sounds absurd, but they've done this with all kinds of other things that would be considered weirder. Plus, we'd get this before GTA 6.
I would replicate the designs of the approximately equivalent denominations of whatever was circulating in the colonies in 1776.
I'm all aboard with a Weird Al commem- if it had a suitably weird design. He's a national treasure. If I was the Prez he'd get the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
I'm in complete agreement with KBBPLL but would modify the designs to recognize the ethnic diversity that we now have that was not a consideration then
That would certainly attract more collectors into the colonials category, which would be great for about anyone with colonial coinage. Making a large dollar with the Continental Currency design would be even cooler. Amen to that! I think Al has really paved the way for any further parodists. Nobody is as white and nerdy as him, but the new generation of satirists may come close. A medal with the "bridge" part of Hardware Store on the reverse would be a nice piece to own - with the obverse being Al performing a song in front of a stadium of people. I think a commemorative dollar with the inscription "the strive for independence brought us here, and under this all lives are protected" would go over quite well. A message stating a centuries-old fact, combined with a nice design could make for a wildly popular coin.
I was thinking along the lines of for example putting the design of a Spanish real on one. Stuff that was actually used in commerce in 1776. That would throw people for a loop but force some to learn the history of coins here. It would never fly of course.
I was going more with the flowing hair, draped bust designs, with an ethnic component. Classical and relevant, to recognize then and now.
