Your Opinion: Greatest US Coin Design of All-Time

I have been developing a segment for a future podcast and I was wondering what the US coin people on CT thought was the greatest single coin design in US history?

Which eagle design is the best?

What Minor coin has the best design as well?

Opinions please?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

The general consensus is that the Trade dollar is the greatest design. I think the $20 double eagle and ASE are up there too.

 

Liberty Seated

 

"The general consensus" is the Trade dollar is greater than things like:

St Gaudens double eagle
St Gaudens Eagle
Walking Liberty
Buffalo nickel
Draped Bust

You must live in a much, much different part of the US than I sir. I have never heard anyone utter "Trade dollar" ahead of those five I just listed. Its a decent coin, I do not mind it, but "greatest"? It would make my top ten maybe, and even then only if commemoratives are not included.

Mike, if you are talking production coins, this is my list of five. Pretty hard to pick a favorite from these. If we are including commemoratives, then my favorite of all time is the Oregon Trail commemorative half. Nothing is more American to me than this coin, nor more beautiful.

Edit: Sorry, didn't see the other parts of the question. To me the eagle on the WL half is best, followed by the two St Gaudens and the SL quarter. For minor coinage, only the draped bust design has any chance to compete with the buffalo nickel, but the buffalo still wins it in my view.

Of course, like all polls like this, its personal aesthetics, and honest opinions will differ.

 

Walking Liberty half dollar for the eagle design.

For the minor coinage I would say the Indian Head nickel

 

As far as the eagle goes, my top two are:

1. Texas commemorative half
2. Walking Liberty half

 

Of the ones listed the Buff would be on my list. IMO Saints are towards the bottom of the pile. Above Suzy B but not a whole lot.

 

But what about Saints BEFORE the AGE program? I remember how these were the most beautiful coin in the world until the AGE program made them so common and mundane.

 

I am sure the gold-double-eagle/walking-liberty-half/silver-eagle deserves mention in any "best coin design" discussion, I mean, after all, it has appeared on 3 coins. however, my personal tastes may not allingn with the majority. I am not a supporter of "the south" or a "good ol boy", but at the first coin show I ever went to, I saw the Stone Mountain half dollar. It was raw, and looked to my noob eyes to be in amazing condition. It had a sticker on the flip that said $60. The other half dollars around it had prices around $5-10. So I asked why this one was so much, and the guy (who would eventually turn into one of my most trusted and frequented dealers) said that it was a commemorative half dollar and in very good condition, but said to make an offer. So, not knowing ANYTHING at this point, I offered $20. He chuckled and said he couldnt do it for $20, but would go to $35. Something just told me this was the first coin I HAD TO HAVE. So I bought it. I put it in an airtites, and looked at it every so often. I then learned and educated myself and ended up going in a totally different direction with my collection.

A few years after, I went to a show where ICG had free coin grading. I just happened to have that with me and in its airtite in my pocket. Turns out it is MS65 (ICGs grade, to be taken with a grain of salt) and worth quite a bit more than $35. Not bad for a first purchase. But I love the obverse of that coin.

 

My favorite design is the $10 Indian. Beautiful design on all sides, including the edge with the raised stars!

 

I was wondering what the US coin people on CT thought was the greatest single coin design in US history?

$2 1/2- $5 Indian

Which eagle design is the best?
Capped Bust eagles I always liked.

What Minor coin has the best design as well?
.20c, love the seated liberty and the trade dollar style eagle reverse.

 

Best all around to me is the SLQ Type 1.

Best larger coin would be seated halves or $10 Indian

Best smaller coin might be a well struck 3-cent nickel.

 

Best eagle designs are Illinois and Arkansas centennials as well as the Alabama centennial....

Just a humble opine.

 

My top 3 are the draped bust the st gaudens $20 and the trade dollar for best eagle I say the Gobrecht dollar with the heraldic eagle from the draped bust second

 

My preferences are:

Walking Liberty Half

Draped Bust Gold

Heraldic Eagle

reverse from Flying Eagle Cent

 

I agree with ROLLJUNKIE for best Eagle

Texas Commem and Walking Liberty Half

 

Any draped bust, half cent to dollar
St. Gaudens high relief
Heraldic eagle reverse on Liberty Head double eagles
The artistry of James Earle Fraser on the Buffalo nickel

 

Capped Bust Half
$20 St. Gaudens

 

Eagle....Walking Liberty

Minor coin.....IH

My favorite overall design. Oregon trail memorial commemorative

Tom