Who else read this CW article about coinage redesign, and what did you think??

keets

It's in the May 17th issue on page 2 titled "Designs should return to their roots" by Paul Gilkes. Thanks.

Al H.

LanLord

Don't think I have received that issue yet. What's the gist of the article?

LanLord

Just to clarify, obviously, the writer wants to return to classic designs, but was he/she asking for reuse of old designs or newly created designs in the classic style?

keets

the gist of the article is comment by Daniel Altshuler who is a member of CCAC. he suggests a return to invitation only coin design competition with emphasis on higher relief and symbolic imagery to better represent America's message as depicted on our circulating coins.

al h.

aRabidChipmunk

I have yet to receive my May 10th issue, let alone the May 17th issue.

I think the May 10th issue may be AWOL...guess I need to convene a courts martial when it does show up.

LAWMAN

I read it. It's a bit pie-in-the-sky. While we would all love a return to the extraordinary coins of, say, the early 20th century, that stuff has to be confined now to the Silver, Gold and Platinum American Eagle series and the like where they can justify the time and money required to produce the higher relief and more difficult coinage to produce from a technical aspect. Today's circulating coinage is just about keeping its head above water in terms of the seigniorage (or however they spell that word). Another CW article recently talked about how the mint is on a crash program to come up with cheaper metals to substitute for the clad garbage they now use because zinc and copper and the other bottom feeder metals being used are all up 30-70% over the past year.

I'd like a big, fat 5 cent candybar and a stinkin 5 cent stogie again too, but, it's not fated for this life.

beartracks42

Al,

I got my CW today and I read the article. I very much agree with most of what he said, but do not think much will change. I do not think he believes anything will change either. Too bad.

I also read the article about the congressman from Delaware(Castle?) ramming his Presidential Dollar bill through congress. This is another sign that congress does not pay one damn bit of attention to what citizens want or say. I was surprized to read that now the mint and Fed thinks that the SBA's mixed in with the Sac's, is the main reason the Sacs are not received favorably by us, the public. HUUUMMMM???

cladking

<< <i>I read it. It's a bit pie-in-the-sky. While we would all love a return to the extraordinary coins of, say, the early 20th century, that stuff has to be confined now to the Silver, Gold and Platinum American Eagle series and the like where they can justify the time and money required to produce the higher relief and more difficult coinage to produce from a technical aspect. Today's circulating coinage is just about keeping its head above water in terms of the seigniorage (or however they spell that word). Another CW article recently talked about how the mint is on a crash program to come up with cheaper metals to substitute for the clad garbage they now use because zinc and copper and the other bottom feeder metals being used are all up 30-70% over the past year.

I'd like a big, fat 5 cent candybar and a stinkin 5 cent stogie again too, but, it's not fated for this life. >>



Exactly. Tempus fugit.

The clad coins aren't really a problem in terms of cost because the metal to make them
is a small part of the value of the coin. This isn't true for the cent (zinc) and nickel (cu/ni).

The presses and dies in operation are just as capable of making high relief coins as the
older systems were. There are talented capable artists just as there have been for eons.
Unlike the recent past however, some of these talented artists now work for the mint.

The only thing that is required for better coinage is a huge expansion of the mint at a cost
of billions to the taxpayer, or the elimination of the greatest drain on the mint and a trifling
inconvenience to all Americans: (whether they recognize it or not) - the penny.

A huge amount of the mints work load is taken up producing this coin which is a drain on the
American economy. With it's elimination the presses could be slowed down to allow higher
relief and the die shops could easily keep up with the demand for more dies.

The penny's days are likely numbered since the labor costs of it's production are also soaring.