Ugliest U.S. Coin?????

I can respect that; I like the ASE design and have others who hate it.

 

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I like barbers a lot more than Mercs and buffs.

 

I really like the reused design of the Walking Half Dollar Obverse,but the reverse is eh. I’m glad I found someone who understands that people have different opinions!

IMO I think that my profile picture is one of the most beautiful patterns ever made.

 

You can like anything you want. That's your choice.
Artistically there's no comparison. That's also an opinion, but I am confidant it is the prevailing opinion of artistic experts that the Barbers are not in the same class as Walker halves, SLQ's, Merc's and Buffaloes.

 

I agree up until the last sentence. There are lots of comparisons and whatever someone likes better they’ll think is artistically superior. Buffalos and Mercs aren’t elborate designs, they’re actually both very simple just like barbers.

You can actually even argue the Buffalo is the easiest of them all, it’s an Indian head and a buffalo which are both things you can draw from real life examples and requires no imagination.

There’s nothing wrong with liking those better and we all have different tastes, but none of them are really artistically superior to the others. Now if you want to indclude moderns then yes they’re all artistically superior to the current dime

 

You can argue all you want. But comparisons can be made and some are artistically superior to others.
In fact ALL of the Barber designs were replaced by superior designs.

 

I’m not arguing I’m actually stating facts. Your opinion is not a fact.

 

The nickel may be his best. The eagle on the quarter and half is almost cartoonish.

 

The nickel may be the best of the 4. The eagle on the quarter and half are almost cartoonish.

 

The Reverse side of the 5 cent piece is the only thing that I think that Barber did that was any good. Look at the pictures it explanes it all. Simple designs, same Obverse except nickel, same Reverse except the dime and nickel. BORING!

 

I'd have to say that the overwhelming CONSENSUS among medallic artists is that the early 20th century changes were steps overwhelmingly in the right direction. I know my favorite Prez of all time certainly did! (TR)

Yes, I think that some nostalgia for certain aspects of life during the Barber era colors some people's perceptions, but arguing that Barber coins are superior designs per se to those that came after, well ... , that strikes me as being provocative for its own sake. The depth of the relief alone argues otherwise.

All that having been said, the eye IS drawn inevitably to a TRULY nice Barber coin, maybe because so many are worn flat pieces of junk, and really nice ones are so uncommon.

One problem - I suspect that wreath renderers experienced a recession then.

 

I’m not arguing they’re superior just the opposite in fact, that they’re equals whose people’s personal preference will determine which they find superior.

 

Is it okay if I suggest that's just being a shade or two too cute? I have run into literally THOUSANDS of people in my life for whom seemingly EVERYTHING is opinion and they live their lives denying facts or consensus exist. And those people annoy the crap out of me.

 

Eh, coins are art and art is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has different taste with them, doesn’t mean any of better than others. It’s not like we’re talking about any that have glaring issues like some of the more recent work

 

Yup, and so is junk. I have no problem discerning one from the other, either, although I observe many who do.

The more infrequently heard words that are used to "sprinkle sunshine" on an alleged piece of "art" to explain what it means, the more likely it's junk.

 

How uninspiring and lazy is it to use the same obverse for 3 coins and the same reverse for 2, and they aren't even very good.
I am changing my view of average. The nickel is average. But the Barber dime, quarter and half are mediocre coin designs.

 

Mediocrity is okay, when it's done exceptionally well.

 

Barber no natural talent, Nepotism got him his job as an apprentice and later as master engraver.
What would our coinage be now if they would have gone Morgan over Barber
When the Edler Barber died. Alas we will never know and now we’re stuck with Barbers flat bland coins

 

And we will all have different opinions on which ones are junk. Mercs do nothing for me and ASEs killed walkers for me seeing that obverse reused. None of the ones currently being discussed are my favorites though I do like standing quarters and a nice barber is pretty. Seated and Bust coins are my favorite and despite their small size I do like the 3 cent silver design a lot too.

 

He clearly had talent but he’s hardly the first nor the last to get a government job from connections. You can say that about 100 of thousands of people if not more throughout the countries history