US Mint vs Private Mints??????

INXS

What do you think is the real reason that a SQ concept going to the mint is rejected and something less complicated is substituted?

I have seen many medals, SQ replicas and foreign coins all from private and foreign mints that make the US Mint's renditions look absolutely pathetic. Is it because the US Mint produces so many coins or is it that their engravers have just lost the drive?

Thanks

Inxs

F117ASR

a bit of both

nwcs

Well, speed of production/die manufacture/etc. is probably the number one concern. But the other is political. Getting rid of dead presidents is hard because some states seem to feel it's their Constitutional right to hijack a denomination. And designs that might "offend" someone even in theory are rejected before being considered. One thing you can say about bland boring designs is that they won't be controvertial and won't get anyone fired.

F117ASR

I would love to see the platinum obverse on regular coinage. Who can be offended by that?

nwcs

<< <i>I would love to see the platinum obverse on regular coinage. Who can be offended by that? >>

Non americans. According to some in this country, anything patriotic of the US is obviously a sign of our imperialism and arrogance and deserves to be eliminated.

F117ASR

Well being patriotic does not offend as much as those who want the "In God We Trust" , removed.

cladking

The problem is multifold. Design is heavily politicized and tied to symbols and mottos which have
their own constituencies. Then there is the job of producing billions of toxic little slugs which have
become essentially of negative value by inflation yet remain because of politics and inertia. This re-
quires that much of the productive capacity of the mint is preassigned for their production which
necessitates low flat designs which can be struck at very high speed for all the coinage.

Another major problem is that the entire structure of currency and coinage dates from another era.
The quarter is worth only about three cents in the money from when the system was designed, yet
still is our largest circulating coin. Today it takes a ten dollar bill to make the same kind of purchase
that was originally made with the largest coin.

Askari

It's simple Basically, the US Mint is allergic to artistic coin designs for circulating coinage. They prefer those which are simple, very low-relief, and wear well with handling so they can get the most for their money. They also believe they'll be more likely to circulate than to be "hoarded" by collectors. For attractive designs, they'd rather sell them as NCLT for outrageous markups.

XpipedreamR

<< <i>I would love to see the platinum obverse on regular coinage. Who can be offended by that? >>











Anyone with a semblance of taste. Liberty looks like she was mercilessly beaten with an ugly stick, or it's actually my cousin Bruno the drag queen!

UncleWiggly

Who knows what the hell on this anymore.


Jerry

BaronVonBaugh

Speaking of designs, I could not believe it when Texas did not submit a design for the quarter with the alamo on it. They were obviously worried that " Remember the Alamo" would step on somebodies toes.

sumnom

Or maybe they thought a building would not make a very inspirational design.

aem4162

it would be better than the rock on the nh coin

*sigh* our coins suck

sumnom

Don't worry, they all do.

Askari

<< <i>Or maybe they thought a building would not make a very inspirational design. >>

No, it was actually that the folks in Austin thought it would be insulting to Hispanic-Americans ... never mind that they also fought and died on the side of the Texicans and at the Alamo.