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What would you say is the quintessential US coin design?

lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,687 ✭✭✭✭✭
Imagine you are traveling abroad and get into a difficult situation (car breaks down, no hotels, whatever).



A friendly native comes to your aid. He has spent his life in a remote tribal area but his grandfather once traveled to America and told him many things about its history, geography, and culture, and taught him a little English as well.



What one US coin would you give him in gratitude, and to sum up our nation?



I would think maybe a Buffalo nickel (or dollar of the same design). Or maybe an Oregon Trail half? Then again, something with the Statue of Liberty on it might be good.

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Comments

  • guitarwesguitarwes Posts: 9,290 ✭✭✭
    G. Washington prez buck.



    Shows something Presidential. Has the Statue of Liberty on reverse. It's gold and shiny.
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  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Walking Liberty Half.... I believe this depicts America on obverse and reverse. Cheers,RickO
  • StuartStuart Posts: 9,793 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This one does it for me...



    1927 $20 Gold Saint Gaudens Double Eagle


    imageimage

    Stuart

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  • DentuckDentuck Posts: 3,820 ✭✭✭
    The Buffalo nickel, no question.



    The Saint-Gaudens double eagle is pretty, but it could just as easily be

    19th- or early-20th-century German, British, or French if you remove the words.
  • guitarwesguitarwes Posts: 9,290 ✭✭✭
    Regarding Ricko's comment, the Walking Liberty Half was the very first coin to pop into my mind, second was the Morgan Dollar.
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  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,687 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: Dentuck

    The Buffalo nickel, no question.



    The Saint-Gaudens double eagle is pretty, but it could just as easily be

    19th- or early-20th-century German, British, or French if you remove the words.




    Agreed- I had exactly the same thoughts.



    I do like guitarwes' pick of a GW Prez buck. With both Washington and the Statue of Liberty on it, that covers two essential American icons.



    (Would be a lot cheaper than giving away a Saint, too.) image



    But Stuart is also right- despite its somewhat European flavor, the Saint is not a bad choice. And one could also argue that the Statue of Liberty is itself very French, not only in origin but in style.



    The Walker is another good pick but also inspired by its European contemporaries.



    The Buffalo nickel or Oregon Trail half, on the other hand, seem much more purely American in inspiration.

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  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Imagine you are traveling abroad



    image
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,687 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: keets

    Imagine you are traveling abroad



    image




    What's so funny about the hypothetical scenario, keets? Pick your own if you like.



    I thought maybe you would have posted a Jefferson nickel, which actually wouldn't have been a bad choice, either. Jefferson and Monticello are both quintessential American icons.



    (Edited for spelling fix. Autocorrect "corrected" your name to "meets".)

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  • epcjimi1epcjimi1 Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: lordmarcovan
    Imagine you are traveling abroad and get into a difficult situation (car breaks down, no hotels, whatever).

    A friendly native comes to your aid. He has spent his life in a remote tribal area but his grandfather once traveled to America and told him many things about its history, geography, and culture, and taught him a little English as well.

    What one US coin would you give him in gratitude, and to sum up our nation?

    I would think maybe a Buffalo nickel (or dollar of the same design). Or maybe an Oregon Trail half? Then again, something with the Statue of Liberty on it might be good.



    Filing Official WTF, premise is hotel desk 4am. MHO. JFC. Srsly. Go capture some bats, instead. Use a net.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,687 ✭✭✭✭✭
    OK, forget the premise, then. image



    (I may work overnight front desk at a hotel, but posted this in the daytime, closer to 4 PM than 4 AM.)



    Back on track. The quintessential American coin design.



    Some of the ATB quarters also come to mind. Better yet, those 1-oz. proof platinums with the "Vistas of Liberty" or whatever they called it.

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  • abcde12345abcde12345 Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1917 Standing Liberty quarter.
  • WillieBoyd2WillieBoyd2 Posts: 5,261 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I remember a travel book which advised Americans to bring Kennedy half dollars to hand out to natives because John F. Kennedy was well-known and liked all over the world.


    image

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  • nankrautnankraut Posts: 4,565 ✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: ricko
    Walking Liberty Half.... I believe this depicts America on obverse and reverse. Cheers,RickO


    I'm with ricko
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  • MidLifeCrisisMidLifeCrisis Posts: 10,550 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image

    image



  • FredFFredF Posts: 527 ✭✭✭
    I would say for "quintessential American coin" the Buffalo Nickel or the IHC. Those are both very US-centric concepts that would be easily recognizable. I don't recognize commemoratives as coins, so I wouldn't consider any of them image.

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  • WildIdeaWildIdea Posts: 1,877 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I like the coin series from say 1900-1950 the most. They speak in images what this country aspires to.



    Buffalo nickel, respect for indigenous people

    Winged liberty, freedom of thought

    Walker, sowing the seats if democracy

    Standing lib, Morgan, basically any Colombia figure in the place of kings images



    When our money is migrating abroad, and you can bet it is, we should advertise our values on them. Not place aristocrats and dignitaries for whom nobody can really relate to.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,687 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: WildIdea



    When our money is migrating abroad, and you can bet it is, we should advertise our values on them. Not place aristocrats and dignitaries for whom nobody can really relate to.




    Well said.


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  • HydrantHydrant Posts: 7,773 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Oregon Trail. No close second.
  • koynekwestkoynekwest Posts: 10,048 ✭✭✭✭✭
    What else? Buff 5c.
  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    nothing meant, I just find the prospect of me ever leaving the country again sort of funny.
  • stashstash Posts: 1,126 ✭✭✭
    I'd give them my 2 Cents .. Lol ....

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