Foreign vs. U.S. Coins

I know I can't be the only one that is tired of some of the same old coin designs we have had for decades, but even when they put out 'new' designs, why do they keep rehashing the same old tired ideas? Case in point: While I am glad that they are getting a new reverse for the cent in 2010, is the shield and banner really the best they could come up with? Really? No, I mean, REALLY?

Here is a virtually valueless coin I found in some pocket change... My 9 year old girl LOVES it... It went in her collection, but I have to say, in my opinion it is a more appealing, attractive design than the new cent... And it is quite simple really... Any thoughts?

 

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Try as I may, I just can't seem to get interested in any foreign coins. Granted, the designs are exceptional on many, many issues but they are not for me. Guess I'm strictly a US guy....

 

way to be patriotic... I just started a foreign coin collection but it is not as nice as a US set.

 

I agree entirely with your sentiment. That said, I think the coin you posted is really rather ugly. Take a look at some 20th century Italian coins, or even the U.S. coins from the coinage renaissance era. Stagnant designs are fine by me, but they need to be nice ones, and right now they aren't.

 

No disrespect meant, but that has got to be one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. You're not patriotic because you don't like the coin designs of your nation? Tell that to all the veterans that collect world coins.

 

But OP's daughter loves it. Isn't that what collecting is all about?

 

Yes it is, and that's great. My point was that our nation's designs should be changed, but the coin provided was not the best demonstration.

By the way, if the OP or his/her daughter is interested, the fruit represented on the coin are pomegranates, which are a very important symbol in the Jewish religion. Some have even suggested that the top of the pomegranate inspired the Star of David!

 

I'm probably a real extremist in my thinking. Our founders thinking was that our coinage should reflect our ideals, and even stipulated the that obverse of each coin was to feature a depiction of "Liberty". I hold nothing in my collection that does not adhere to our original coinage law. Nothing later than 1947.

That doesn't mean I won't buy and sell the other stuff, but I have no real interest in collecting it...unless you consider the pieces that I will need to have in my Dansco 7070.

Our coins were not intended to commemorate deceased and revered statesmen. That's what medals were intended for.

Nightowl

 

Wow! LOL... Not exactly the response I was expecting... First, I didn't mean to make any statement that any foreign coin was better than any particular U.S. coin... And I have seen some really fantastic italian coins and others... In fact, been going through some tonight to get rid of (seen below)... I only showed the little gold colored coin from Israel to make the point that every symbol on the lowest denomination circulation coin in this country should not have to be some patriotic symbol... And must they remain copper colored forever?... I had hoped that they would do a program for the cent much like that for the quarters where maybe every state was represented in some fashion on the coins... or maybe a series of 100 national heroes or some such... And my only interest as a collector is domestic coins... I use the foreign coins for reference sometimes, but I don't even bother looking them up for values and such...

 

I too have seen magnificent foreign coins...but they aren't of recent vintage for the most.

I have quarter burn out....and am frankly quite tired of the exploitive motivation of the US mint. What's next...a new reverse every week? I guess it would be far more interesting if the designs they choose weren't so lacking in artistic flair. They all look like something created via some 29 dollar software that came from Best Buy. I was never so disappointed as when I heard that the state parks would be the next profiteering venture on the quarters. I was thrilled that it was apparently "over"...but my exuberance was short lived.

Nightowl

 

One mans' junk is another mans' treasure and beauty is in the eye of the beholder....

 

When I was younger I pretty much swore off foreign coins but people gave me alot of mexican & canadian coins, I kept them but didnt take care of them.

Now that ive gotten back into coin collecting pretty much full time & me being 30 years old, I got a new appreciation for coins from other countries. Now I have a pretty good assortment of Phillipino, Brazil, France, Italy, spain and several other countries. I continue to look around and see if any catch my eye and if so, I buy it.

 

nightowl - until this moment, i thought i was the only one who thought that way.

while i do agree that there are some beautiful foreign coins out there, they hold no personal interest for me. give me lady liberty on a coin any day!

 

I agree with what your saying. But, to me when I look at some of the State Quarters and see a race car, an Elvis guitar, a space shuttle, and many other things I see that as Liberty and Freedom in action.

Foreign coinage can be very beautiful no doubt, I just don't have the interest. After saying that I can certainly understand why some enjoy collecting it, and it gets back to it is good we all don't want to collect the same coins.

If we could just get something other than Presidents on the obverse of our coinage, and not a repeat of something we've already had. Miss Liberty beautiful and unique.

 

I'm going to be tarred and feathered for saying this, but our nation's first coins were almost as ugly as the ones we have now. Seriously, who wants a cent with some old hag on the front and a chicken on the back? (Well, me. But not because they're pretty!) It wasn't until the early 20th century that real works of art started to appear on American coins.

 

Funny, I just realized the error of my ways... I titled the original post as Foreign vs. U.S. coins... That clearly makes it sound like I was making the direct comparison of quality of the two or the collection one might accumulate of one or the other... That also explain the accusation of not being a patriot if they were reading my title rather than the gist of the first post...

I really just wanted to know what people thought of the difference in philosophy when it comes to coin design in some countries... I used the example of the small golden coin from Israel because I am curious why the U.S. has had copper colored pennies for over 150 years... What would be wrong with maybe a brass colored variety, even if some of the same images were used? And really, I am not a big fan of changing the design every year just to make money for the mint, but I would rather see them change every six months indefinitely than to stick me with a shield and banner on the cent for the next 200 years... I'd rather see an apple pie, or a baseball bat if I gotta stare at it for 2 centuries... (collectively, I)

b

 

I agree (though I still love u.s. coins), take the morgan dollar for example.

 

IMO, the draped bust design is very beautiful. but i do agree, before that design, the liberty on them is very hag-like!

 

But the coin designs actually were executed in higher relief. They had zippity doo dah for technology and produced art works. Now we have technology out the hind end....and this low relief crap is all we can muster. That somehow doesn't seem quite right to me. We should be able to create the most beautifully rendered designs that the world has ever imagined.....not a lame flat bust of George Washington with spaghetti for hair.

As for the shield cent....yes, that's a woefully inadequate design , totally devoid of any imagination or creativity. Looks like another design that took 10 minutes to execute. It'd take 'em longer to execute the "designer".

Nightowl

 

Interesting! I collect both US and Foreign and both have a place in some collections. It just depends what you like. The US mint has a very difficult job in making everyone happy. So far I think they do a great job!! Sure I don't like it when they pull krap like dismissing ASE for 2009 but what ya gonna do. As far as the 2010 cent, we'll just have to see it and find out how the rest of the public feels about it. :smile