Next Quarter Design?

Askari

Lately I've been acquiring art medals from the great salons that instructed many of the master engravers of coins US & foreign. (The former includes Morgan & St. Gaudens.) I just picked up the bronze medal below (a modern restrike by the US Mint) of the first medal authorized by Congress -- in 1776 -- commemorating Washington's victory over the British at Boston. The engraver is Houdon, who is regonized as having produced perhaps the finest rendering of Washington in this medal.

Wouldn't it be interesting to have the post-State Quarter bear this likeness of Washington and maybe a historical series of the Revolutionary War ... perhaps as a start in commemorating a long series based on US history? Frankly, I think the half dollar would make a better basis -- and it might get it circulating (or at least collected more assiduously) -- but we've made a start at having our quarter "go commem" and returning to some of the more appealing portraits of the key presidents and/or allegorical symbols would go far to make US coinage "first-of-world-class." JMHO.

nwcs

It would be interesting, but the mint would never go that way. Not unless they were willing to go back to a multi-impression die sinking process. I imagine than a low relief version of this medal would look more like a caricature than anything else.

Wondo

Askari,

I'm sorry, but U.S. coins will never look this good. I believe your Darkside experiences have influenced your perception. That is one beautiful medal!!!

coinkat

Never say never... 15 years ago would have ever guessed there would be State quarters?

Askari

Yes, I'm quite aware you can do more with high-relief medals than with mass-produced coins, but what we have now are caricatures, I will submit, and we can do better. Have any of the busts on modern coins fared well over the years (well, decades, now)? However, I wouldn't be opposed at all at letting quarters serve as "common commems" like with the SQs, but make the larger half dollar more a formal "major commem." The fact is, many other countries manage to mass-produce much more attractive coinage than the US does, so obviously it's not impossible to improve on what we have. Certainly I, for one, would rather return to the coin designs of a century ago than today's.

Cam40

It would be a numismatist dream if we returned to the classics style of designs.
But I feel I have a better chance of finding an AU `16 D dime in change than classic revisions of our moderns.

I think we should atleast mint coins with ulta-fine detail in the design.That would look cool and also aid in
counterfiet deterance. We have these ultra-fine lines in paper money designs ?!?!
Why not in coin designs.

Conder101

<< <i>The fact is, many other countries manage to mass-produce much more attractive coinage than the US does, so obviously it's not impossible to improve on what we have. >>


True they have, but no country strikes the sheer number of coins that we do. If we struck 1/3rd the number of coins we do then we could slow the presses down to allow better metal flow and permit us to have higher relief coins.

baccaruda

besides the fact that the mint is not going to produce a quality modern coin, this one does not appeal specifically to ANY special interest groups. forget it.

BlueCole

i tell you what, Ol' GW had a massive adam's apple!!! no way of mistaking him for a lady if if was dressed that way!

B.

cladking

Unfortunately such a design is not at all far fetched for actual use. Unfortunately because
there will still be a great deal of interest in changing designs and it's hardly impossible that
Virginia would attempt to hold the quarter's subject matter hostage also. The country needs
not only more modern concepts for coinage designs but also more modern designs. This isn't
the same country it was a hundred or two hundred years ago; it is the oldest republic in the
world and one of the longest lasting ever. Our coinage should not send a message of stagnation.