Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;CamaroDMD, post: 1912997, member: 5233&quot;]When it comes to coin design...I think it is a little more involved than you may realize.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now, I am not speaking of dead presidents on our coins verses deceptions of Liberty.&nbsp; I am speaking about the quality of the design itself.&nbsp; The relief, the detail and the beauty.&nbsp; While I&#039;m not going to say any of our Presidents currently depicted were handsome or ugly...what I am talking about is simply the artistry of the coins design.</p><p><br /></p><p>Coins today are far different than they were 100 years ago.&nbsp; Yes, you may say that the designs are far less inspired, much flatter, and lack detail and you would be correct.&nbsp; However, this is not solely because artists (or even the government officials) lack creativity or are lazy.&nbsp; The process to mint a circulation coin...and the needs of that coin are fair different today than they were 100+ years ago.</p><p><br /></p><p>First, they have to mint far more coins.&nbsp; To do that as economically as possible, they want to make the coin minting machinery (dies, presses, ect) last as long as possible.&nbsp; One way to do this is reduce the complexity of the design.&nbsp; On top of that, as metal prices have gone up...we have had to change the composition of our coins.&nbsp; Coins aren&#039;t made out of silver anymore...they are made from a much harder nickel-clad alloy.&nbsp; Making coins out of this material in high volume causes much more wear and tear on machinery.&nbsp; To help combat this, the relief and detail of the designs has had to be reduced.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you look at the modern commemorative coins...you will see wonderful artistry and inspired design.&nbsp; We haven&#039;t lost the ability to do that.&nbsp; However, modern economics has forced circulation coinage to be of reduced quality.&nbsp; You could still put Lady Liberty on our coins...but she wouldn&#039;t be the same lady we are accustomed to.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in