Why do coins still have the designers initials on them?

jessewvu

What's so special about coins? From what I could find, dollar bills don't have designer initials, stamps don't have designer initials...

Perhaps it's time we scrap the designer initials from coins. Thoughts?

LanceNewmanOCC

i think some stamps do. federal duck stamps may be one. (it was fun watching some docs on the whole artist/duck stamp process).

art has signatures, sometimes.

i'm not for or against but i do prefer when they are part of the design and not just out in the field somewhere.

djm

It wasn't so bad when it was just the designer's initials, but now they have the engraver's initials also. They do distract from the design.

numisma

Why do coins still have the designers initials on them?

Well, there's an easy answer to your question. You see, coins still have designer's initials because ... well, you know, if they didn't then ... and, you know it could be because ... well heck, I guess I don't know. Good question!

BStrauss3

Why shouldn't the designers be proud of their work and have a mark showing it?

airplanenut

For what it’s worth, I remember talking to a BEP engraver at the summer seminar many years ago and he said no one engraver (at least at the time) does the entire design as one more protection against anyone being able to counterfeit them (how good you’d have to be to reproduce even your own intaglio engraving, I don’t know). That’s unlike coins where one person does each the design and/or engraving.

emeraldATV

F
G
Looks like a monogram to me .
WHAT ?

Zoins

@jessewvu said:
Why do coins still have the designers initials on them?

The funny thing is that when I got back into coins again, coins didn't have designer initials on them, they had engraver initials on them. I believe this was the case because often the engraver would work for the mint and build the final sculpt while the designer didn't work with the mint or provide the final product for minting.

At the time I lamented the lack of recognition of designers and here we are, with initials for both engravers and designers!

PerryHall

@airplanenut said:
For what it’s worth, I remember talking to a BEP engraver at the summer seminar many years ago and he said no one engraver (at least at the time) does the entire design as one more protection against anyone being able to counterfeit them (how good you’d have to be to reproduce even your own intaglio engraving, I don’t know). That’s unlike coins where one person does each the design and/or engraving.

Totally agree. Some engravers do the letters or numbers, some engravers only do portraits, some engravers only do landscaping, etc. As far as coins, artists and engravers signing their work with their initials never bothered me.

Namvet69

Now I'm thinking about the Omega mark. Peace Roy

vulcanize

Just like Mona Lisa that is puportedly having L and V in her eyes which subsequently has given rise to new arguments

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mona-lisas-hidden-symbols-researcher-says-yes/

So better for the designers and engravers and others including the janitor at the mint to put their initials on there lest some controversy erupts after a few years.

BLUEJAYWAY

So we know who to blame if we don't like the design.

ricko

The initials never bothered me. Like an artist signing their work. It is ok with me. Heck, I sign my posts.... Cheers, RickO

bolivarshagnasty

I would guess that most designers/sculptors were artists before they were affiliated with the US mint. It is common practice for them to sign or initial their work in that world. I was surprised to learn that Glenna Goodacre had sculpted these pieces in a park in Hamilton, Ohio.

davewesen

do they get royalties?

BuffaloIronTail

This is the least of my concerns.............................

Pete