Relief of the current Jefferson Nickel

This has been on my mind for a while but I never talked about it. It annoys me whenever I get one in change. This probably is an old debate but still...

It's obvious to me that the relief of the obverse and reverse of the 2006 - present Jefferson Nickel is low/shallow and too plain. The original design of 2003 and previous has a much more complex depth. Is this a cost saving measure or an attempt at moving towards a more modern design (if that is indeed considered modern).

 

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It is a cost saving measure for sure. Lower relief means the dies last longer, and it's something they've been doing with all denominations over the past couple decades. That said, the 2021 quarters have a reasonable amount of relief to them so hopefully the mint is starting to balance die life and appearance a bit. I don't like the current nickel, but I bet it'd be at least acceptable if it wasn't so flat.

 

Computer Aided Drawings and CNC engraving machines. Its how they can do five different designs in one year, a real money maker that is. They have taken all the hand craftsmanship out of coin/die making. It is sad in a way. It is just a business after all.

 

Silver Lining: Almost all of the newer minted coins have full steps due to the lower relief.

 

As if that will make a difference in 100 years...

I always had mixed opinions about old high relief vs new low relief. The old pre-1998 quarters were rather mushy in details, and 1998 really defined the hair, for example.
Same with the Lincoln cent.

But, there's still something about the amorphous blob of "hair" on those coins that, despite their lack of realism, are still engaging. I guess I'm old fashioned, I prefer old-fashioned hand-engraved dies over modern CAD designs.

Here's some nice, old fashioned high relief.

 

Also the relief has to be lower since the striking speed is much faster. (went from 60-120 strikes per minute, .5 to 1 sec per coin, to 750 strikes per minute, .08 sec per coin.) The metal has much less time in which to fill the recesses in the die so the recesses have to be mad shallower.

 

Interesting tidbits of information. Was this change done mainly for the nickel or all circulating coins.

 

All of them. If you were to put together a date set in MS for each of the denomination you can see several changes lowering the relief on each one.

 

What makes you think it's one or the other? It's a computer coin. You're giving them too much credit for thought.

 

With all that being said, are you for getting rid of the cent, and paper 1 dollar? Canada-style? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withdrawal_of_low-denomination_coins

It's laughable that the only entry for the United Cents is the 1/2 cent.

I would like to see the cent eliminated. I don't have strong feelings about the dollar but eliminating it is the only way a dollar coin would ever work.

PS: A half-cent in 1800 would have the value of a dime today (if my resources and brain are correct).

 

Something that I have indeed noticed.........

 

Lower relief, perhaps, but I've noticed greater regard to detail. Ya want better quality, though, buy an mint set.........

 

The cent and the nickel are basically “tax tokens”

 

I've also noticed this with the new designs. My best comparison is with the SMS strikes from 65 thru 67 where no examples of full steps even exist, compared to proofs, which are struck twice, and the lower relief mods. which mostly all do have full steps.

 

Maybe so. Maybe my wife and I are old-fashioned, but we almost always try to pay in exact change. Without the cent and nickel we'd be lost!

 

You have touched upon a point that I've had in mind for some time now. I just didn't ask the question here. So thanks in advance.

Take a look at this 2017 Palau $10 coin:




When I examined the reverse, I saw something that aroused my question.



Take a closer look at the 7 o'clock position. You can clearly see a signage floor stand next to the column! Also, everything looks geometrically perfect. Is it possible to go directly from a high resolution photo to a computer engraved hub? Is that what your reference to a CNC Engraving Machine mean? Because, surely, if an artist was doing this manually, he/she would definitely not have included that signage stand.

To the OP, sorry if I've digressed from the original post a bit.

 

What makes you conclude that? This, below, is your "signage stand," right? And you're reasoning an engraver wouldn't do this? Have you talked to engravers, is that what they told you, there's no way they'd put that sign in there?

And of course these are geometrically-perfect. There's no human involved. These are kids drawing cartoons and artificial intelligence taking it from there. There's no human skill to admire, that was taken out of these. This is how they make Chuck E. Cheese tokens, for gosh sakes, this is but a fancy Chuck E. Cheese token.

 

I think it's due to the people in charge just not giving a edit anymore. It's more about making $$ than anything else.

Just so ya know, I edited myself. LOL