I'm a bit disappointed by the newest American Innovation Dollar..."Handball"
Kurisu
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It features the first home multi-player game "Handball" which was the earlier version of "Pong".
Available to order on June 15th.
I feel like the coin reflects none of that super early video game vibe and is so basic it's a bit sad.
They could've at least put the graphic on a tube tv lol!
And after I was loving their most recent Hubble telescope release...this one could've been so cool!
Handball was released on the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972!
In 1966, Ralph Baer began to investigate how to play games on a television. He and his team developed the “Brown Box,” a prototype for the first multi-player, multi-program video game system. This paved the way for all video game systems that followed. Baer is known today as "The Father of Video Games."
The reverse (tails) design depicts Ralph Baer’s brown box game “Handball” on the right side of the coin. The left side features “NEW HAMPSHIRE” and “PLAYER 1” on an incused background. The inscriptions “IN-HOME VIDEO GAME SYSTEM” and “RALPH BAER” encircle the coin in a text that is meant to pay homage to Baer’s Odyssey game. The additional inscription is "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." The design is also symbolic of an arcade token.
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
Comments
I have seen better looking laundromat tokens.
When is the Mint going to give up on the garbage small dollars? Kinda seems like they are running out of ideas. How long before Susan B Anthony gets put back on a small dollar?
That’s unexciting for an arcade token.
This is what happens with these endless state series. I expect worse designs and subjects to emerge, but this one will stay in the running for the top 10 worst ones.
Sad that the legacy of beautifully designed and engraved classic elements are not used. Peace Roy
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I would think New Hampshire has some more interesting possibilities for innovation as well.
Here are some:
Summarized:
needs to be a poll I'll vote for the drip coffeepot
The Segway is another NH invention!
IMO ... Terrible.
This is why I collect the classics.
Some of which were despised in their day.
Actually, the only video game I have ever played, was Pong... when it first came out, in bars. I do have an interesting story around that game and a company involved in the manufacturing, but for another place/time. I have never had an interest in these games. The coins have had a couple of interesting issues... but do not attract me as a collector. Cheers, RickO
As long as transit agencies don’t want to give paper money back as change from their vending machines, we will still have dollar coins. The only other place where demand for dollar coins comes from is Ecuador and they could make their own dollar coins if transit agencies here in the US didn’t also need them.
Quite a few Civil War tokens have kitchen stoves on them
Is it the Mint or is it us?
After all, the Mint is just doing what Congress says and Congress is elected by us.
Chuck E. Cheese went under, so maybe the mint can hire their engravers.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
That won’t work as Chuck E. Cheese hired the Osborne Mint for their tokens, the same company Abraham Lincoln hired for his campaign tokens.
They’re still in business as Pasqually’s pizza
The SBA Dollar was often mistaken as a quarter. This one will definitely be mistaken as an arcade token.
I don't understand why the largest element, by far, is "Player 1". That seems to be perhaps the least important element.
I do think it is a good choice for an innovation topic for NH.
Out of the 2021 designs coming up for the American Innovation Dollars... I think North Carolina is my favorite. And not just because that's where my parents live
The designers of the Handball coin above are...
Designer: Christina Hess
Sculptor-Engraver: Eric David Custer
Christina is also the designer of the Women's Suffrage coin...
Eric was also the engraver of the Telephone coin...
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
Imagine different states for:
First 4 player game
I was the only kid I knew with an odyssey video game console. Naturally everybody else had an Atari.
When Congress stops making them mint them.
Wait until the series after the Sestercentennial in 2026:
"Youth sports"
1950s edition: Baseball, basketball, stickball, field hockey, street hockey...
2026 edition: ??????
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Has anyone ever received a "golden dollar" in circulation? I have never seen one. I assumed they were struck only for mint sets and proof sets, but the mintages suggest otherwise.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
I haven't received any change since Covid started since I stopped using cash.
Really interesting to think a year, countries were burning their Covid-contaminated cash.
Lol. I had the odyssey with the voice attachment. Pick axe Pete was my favorite game.
I live in the NYC metro area and if you pay for subway or commuter rail tickets by cash, change is only given in dollar coins and no bills.
I like Pong and the old video games but that coin is weak.
The upcoming designs for next year aren’t very inspiring either. Aside from a few here and there I think most of the series will remain unappealing to me.
I don't remember the name of the pong console that we had, but it was fun...for a little while. Then I got my Intellivison, my brother got a Colecovision.
Pretty lame, even for a NIFC coin.
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Reviving this older thread to ask a question? Why is the coin rotated 90 degrees in all the images from the mint. For both the dollar proof set and the individual coin, the coin is rotated 90 degrees and even in the description they say "The reverse (tails) design depicts Ralph Baer’s brown box game “Handball” on the right side of the coin. The left side features “NEW HAMPSHIRE” and “PLAYER 1” on an incused background."
But none of the writing around the coin indicates it should have this orientation. I originally thought that maybe they wanted the line down the middle to indicate the two sides of the game handball, but the graphic showing the game handball on the top ("right") actually has both sides of the game as both of the blocks and the ball are present, so that wouldn't really make sense either.
Coin: https://catalog.usmint.gov/american-innovation-1-coin-2021-rolls-and-bags-new-hampshire-MASTER_INNOVATIONNH.html?cgid=2021-product-schedule
Set: https://catalog.usmint.gov/american-innovation-2021-1-coin-proof-set-21GA.html?cgid=2021-product-schedule
If the set is actually going to look like this, I am going to laugh:
In general, I do like the American Innovation series, but agree that the New Hampshire coin is pretty ugly. I did a bit of a double-take when I first saw it; I thought someone was making a joke. I think some of the other suggestions in this thread would have made a far better coin. Perhaps they could have put Ralph Baer's image on the coin instead? I think that would have been superior to what they settled upon.
I quite like the North Carolina one though, and the other two are fine as well to my eye.
And so ends the great experiment of American coinage, not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Well I guess I’ll share one I love. I know it’s this and that. Blah blah. But I love the look. It was cheap and it takes me back. Ok here goes
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
My buddy and I would light up a fat one and play that game and tank battle for hours. Amazing graphics, so with thought or little did we know. Don’t remember much about the 70’s but I have fond memories of what I do remember.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
"... light up a fat one ... Don't remember much ... " Coincidence? I think not.
No coincidence at all. Wait, what were we talking about?
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Bought 5 each of the first two years and Intro reverse proofs in sealed mint boxes. Also one each of the reverse proof coins in NGC 70 holders. That is it for me. Done. will look to unload at some point. I did like the Polio Microscope, Hubble Telescope and the Edison Light Bulb.
Steve Mnuchin signed off on decades of rotating quarter designs. I may be wrong but I think he did the same for the $1 coins
I have to admit...I like it in-hand!
It did nothing for me on paper but I'm genuinely enjoying the oddness of the sideways layout combined with one of the oddest U.S. coin designs lol!
I've always been in love with the liberty reverse of the American Innovation Dollars so I decided to give it a chance.
Just received this little B-day Xmas combo gift I bought myself
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
This is probably the most obscure series of all time that is not issued in a precious metal.
I need the 2021's for my set but really hope that the 2022's are better.
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Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...