The 2009 Pennies: Yours thoughts on the new designs

Halfhunter06 · December 26, 2008 7:35AM

I am writing this post because I feel these designs are products of special interest groups and people that dont know the first thing about Lincoln. The first design they hit the money with, the second, eh, its ok. What really boils my blood is the 3rd and 4th. Does anybody besides me think the Lincoln-Douglas Debates is a much more appropriate theme than him next to the capital building? The 4th is the worst of all. WHAT DOES AN UNFINISHED CAPITAL BUILDING HAVE TO DO WITH LINCOLN AS PRESIDENT???? I guess if we have a Ronald Reagen, Ike, or whomever coin we should have a finished building on the reverse? Lincoln giving the Gettysberg Address is MUCH MUCH more appropriate. PLease let me know if you agree these deisgns are not the best.

BillJones · December 26, 2008 7:37AM

Too much detail in those designs in too little space. Given the low relief of modern coins, these line drawings might be the best view you will see of them.

Patches · December 26, 2008 7:37AM

It will be interesting to see some of the strike detail on these when they come out. Sure seems to be a lot of detail on them.

messydesk · December 26, 2008 7:41AM

Cosmo Kramer sitting on a log reading an owners manual for an axe?

asdfy · December 26, 2008 7:47AM

The Capitol Building was unfinished when Lincoln was inaugurated. I think they also intend for it to have some kind of symbolic reference that building the nation is unfinished (or work in process).

http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/ig/New-Penny-Designs-for-2009-/Unfinished-Capitol-Building.htm

CaptainQ · December 26, 2008 8:44AM

<< Cosmo Kramer sitting on a log reading an owners manual for an axe? >>

RWB · December 26, 2008 8:51AM

All of the designs are too complicated for a coin that is only 0.75 inches in diameter. Buildings never look good on a coin, and the two with full-length figures will end up as little more than blurs. The final one, incomplete Capitol building, reminds me of the Jersey Turnpike salute. Individually, they are awful! Together they are worse than awful!

silvergoldnut · December 26, 2008 8:53AM

first one is okay....

the rest

lasvegasteddy · December 26, 2008 8:54AM

<<<Cosmo Kramer sitting on a log reading an owners manual for an axe?>>>

lol

yup with me...i've given up on the new mint...i'm just waiting for them to go all computer generated-design-machining

nothing but a big chick-e-cheese factory anymore

one would of thought a classic wheat reverse with 1909-2009 address would of been in order with a return to an engravers portrait as close to vic's as he could of come...toss that out

fcloud · December 26, 2008 9:13AM

With the zinc core being so soft they will probably strike up just fine.

As far as design. Any new is better eventhough they could do much better.

TwoSides2aCoin · December 26, 2008 9:16AM

The third one reminds me of Mr Roger's Neighborhood.

Halfhunter06 · December 26, 2008 12:48PM

The 4th design is REALLY is stretch to Lincoln presidency, him giving the Gettysberg Address would be a no brainer

percyb · December 26, 2008 12:55PM

I think the coin should depict him declaring war on the Confederate States of America... or show Atlanta in flames or show the complete and utter destruction of the lives of southerners.

OneCent · December 26, 2008 1:01PM

<< I think the coin should depict him declaring war on the Confederate States of America... or show Atlanta in flames or show the complete and utter destruction of the lives of southerners. >>

Aaaah, The War of Northern Agression....I forget my history, who fired the first shot?

The designs are mediocre at best and I suspect that they will not translate well to actual coinage.

FloridaBill · December 26, 2008 1:21PM

Isn't it great that we live in an age where such things could never happer again...

Internet monitering, phone tapping, etc...all without court order...

Dissent is quashed even greater today than during the days of Jay Edgar Hoover....LONG LIVE THE PATRIOT ACT!....

FloridaBill

micmt · December 26, 2008 4:04PM

The work on the capitol dome was a big issue during the CW due to many thought it was wasteful spending. Lincoln felt that the work must go on as a symbol of the Unions future.

During the Civil War, construction costs for the new dome and other parts of the building drew unfavorable remarks. Lincoln, however, stressed the work's importance, saying, "If people see the Capitol going on, it is a sign we intend the Union shall go on."

Overdate · December 26, 2008 4:51PM

Note of passing historical interest -

After 50 years, striking of the Lincoln Memorial reverse design comes to an end December 31 and the series will be complete.

Bochiman · December 26, 2008 5:01PM

1. They suck.
2. They suck.
3. They suck.
4. They suck.

They are trying to do too much with too little space. It's a circulating coin. Just make a nice one without tons of detail and without trying to "recapture the youth". Kind of like with the franklin commems the other year...the "young franklin" one sucked.

Modern folks remember them from their older days and that is what should be on the coinage.

I also don't understand, since they SUPPOSEDLY have some numismatists on their little panel who should have understood that MANY people wanted a 2009 SVDB similar to the 1909 SVDB, WHY they couldn't (didn't) do that???

Totally stupid to ignore the opportunity to do something totally cool, and unprecedented, in numismatics with one of the most collected series.

I mean, a "log cabin"....oooo ahhhhhhh.
Lincoln sitting on a friggin' log.....ooooo ahhhhhh.

fishcooker · December 26, 2008 5:06PM

I think people will be saying "What the he11 is that" and not even realize the building is unfinished.

GRANDAM · December 26, 2008 5:15PM

I really like the 1st (2) designs

JMHO, GrandAm

rec78 · December 26, 2008 5:26PM

I reserve my opinion until i actually see the coins in person. IMO after 50 years it is time for a re-design but not four of them- only one. What happens after 2009? Does it go back to the old design? or do we continue to have 4 designs per year? Or ? Also, are all four designs going to be minted at the same time? or is it one every 90 days or so? I think the second and fourth designs will look stupid-but wait and see.

The mint used to hate coin collectors--now they love us. Bob

seatedcollector · December 26, 2008 6:00PM

i have yet to drop in here, read more than four posts and not have a chuckle. you all are really good people here. and i for one appreciate the sense of humor, reading the owners manual for the axe, lol why not have old abe bent over, with his pants around his knees showing his bare a$$ ??

lope208 · December 26, 2008 7:04PM

I agree that 4 is too many. I think one design would have been perfect, maybe even the wheat ears reverse.

I hope they get it right in 2010 when they pick the next design at least...

BillyKingsley · December 26, 2008 11:40PM

I also want to wait until I see them in hand but there's nothing here to make me go ga-ga. IIRC some of the proposed designs were MUCH better then the chosen ones.

My favorite is the Capitol Under Construction.

I think it was time for a change, though. Seeing the same design year after year can get, well...tedious. The memorial reverse had already been in it's 25th year when I was born.

I'm mainly looking forward to finding them in circulation. It will be interesting to see how and when they show up. I've finally found bunches of 2008s-but most of them were pretty nasty looking and went into the spending jar. Hopefully these new designs will reach me before they turn nasty.

Overdate · December 27, 2008 2:15AM

>>What happens after 2009? Does it go back to the old design?<<

I've read that a new reverse design will appear for 2010 and later, but haven't seen any mention of what it will be. Hopefully the new design will be an improvement over the Memorial reverse, but after seeing what they did with the Jefferson nickel obverse in 2006 I'm not holding my breath.

I'm expecting that the cent will only be struck for a few more years anyway, especially if inflation really takes off.

nycounsel · December 27, 2008 2:43AM

I'm not a fan of any of them. I would have much preferred a one year return to the wheat ear reverse, or one single good design to 4 bad ones.

garsmith · December 27, 2008 2:47AM

Why waste money redesigning a coin that should be taken out of circulation. Who here actually spends pennies; I cannot think of anything I can buy with a penny and any pennies I get go into the sparkletts bottle at the end of the day. What a waste

percyb · December 27, 2008 3:00AM

<< 

<< I think the coin should depict him declaring war on the Confederate States of America... or show Atlanta in flames or show the complete and utter destruction of the lives of southerners. >>

Aaaah, The War of Northern Agression....I forget my history, who fired the first shot?

The designs are mediocre at best and I suspect that they will not translate well to actual coinage. >>

Uh, one shot, so let's destroy the entire economy and lives of southerners? Lincoln is a War Criminal.

cars · December 27, 2008 3:20AM

<< 1. They suck.
2. They suck.
3. They suck.
4. They suck.

They are trying to do too much with too little space. It's a circulating coin. Just make a nice one without tons of detail and without trying to "recapture the youth". Kind of like with the franklin commems the other year...the "young franklin" one sucked.

Modern folks remember them from their older days and that is what should be on the coinage.

I also don't understand, since they SUPPOSEDLY have some numismatists on their little panel who should have understood that MANY people wanted a 2009 SVDB similar to the 1909 SVDB, WHY they couldn't (didn't) do that???

Totally stupid to ignore the opportunity to do something totally cool, and unprecedented, in numismatics with one of the most collected series.

I mean, a "log cabin"....oooo ahhhhhhh.
Lincoln sitting on a friggin' log.....ooooo ahhhhhh. >>

I agree, that would have been the way to go. O well.

Sotty · December 29, 2008 11:55AM

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The mint can really go ape with these 09 cents.
They could have 12 in satin for mint sets
they could have 12 for circulation
4 cameo proof
4 reverse proof
They could have some mint sets with satin obverse with circulation reverse
they could have some with circulation obverse and satin reverse

That would make 56 different cents and with the other 09 coins, you could have
a whole collection for 09.

Al21 · December 29, 2008 12:06PM

I like the second one. The first looks like a log cabin in the desert.

SCDHunter · December 29, 2008 12:11PM

They could have simply struck the 2009-S VDB with the wheat reverse.

That way, some of us old-timers could realize life-long dreams of finding a ’09-S VDB in circulation.

sumnom · December 29, 2008 12:58PM

<< They could have simply struck the 2009-S VDB with the wheat reverse.

That way, some of us old-timers could realize life-long dreams of finding a ’09-S VDB in circulation.

>>

An excellent point, Hunter!

Overdate · December 29, 2008 1:20PM

Not if they only strike 484,000!

bigtime36 · December 29, 2008 1:29PM

I think all new stuff is CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

go back to the old designs, when they really meant something......

Jim

Overdate · December 29, 2008 1:30PM

>>WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The mint can really go ape with these 09 cents.
They could have 12 in satin for mint sets
they could have 12 for circulation
4 cameo proof
4 reverse proof . . .<<

That only scratches the surface. They could be struck in zinc, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, copper-nickel and steel. They could strike each variety at all 4 mints.

>>They could have some mint sets with satin obverse with circulation reverse
they could have some with circulation obverse and satin reverse

That would make 56 different cents and with the other 09 coins, you could have
a whole collection for 09.<<

I think that might be overdoing it. I would be perfectly happy with 4 designs x 4 mints x 8 alloys x 4 finishes = 512 coins!

RichieURich · December 31, 2008 6:24AM

<< They are trying to do too much with too little space. It's a circulating coin. Just make a nice one without tons of detail and without trying to "recapture the youth".

Modern folks remember them from their older days and that is what should be on the coinage.

I also don't understand, since they SUPPOSEDLY have some numismatists on their little panel who should have understood that MANY people wanted a 2009 SVDB similar to the 1909 SVDB, WHY they couldn't (didn't) do that???

Totally stupid to ignore the opportunity to do something totally cool, and unprecedented, in numismatics with one of the most collected series. >>

Agreed. And after 100 years of striking hundreds of billions of Lincoln cents, many of which have won't buy anything, 2009 should close with the elimination of the cent denomination.

LincolnCentMan · December 31, 2008 6:28AM

I think one of the designes should have been a 2009 VDB same design as the 1909. At least in the mint sets....

-David

291fifth · December 31, 2008 6:31AM

Not an ounce of artistic merit in any of them. They all scream "I"m done by a graphic designer!"

anablep · December 31, 2008 7:13AM

The first one would have been better if there were trees around the cabin. Its too sparse, but then, there's no room on that size coin anyway.

Wheat ears reverse w/ VDB would have been the best way to go.

The mint doesn't have a clue what collectors want to see. When we stop buying mint products, then maybe they will care.

I stopped in 2005 and will never buy another item directly from the mint (proof sets, mint sets, modern commems, etc.) ever again.

I'm bored by their "products" and their designs.

SILVERSMYTH · January 1, 2009 1:15AM

Another vote for at least 1 with the Wheat rev.

jmski52 · January 1, 2009 1:23AM

I'm not a fan of any of them. I would have much preferred a one year return to the wheat ear reverse, or one single good design to 4 bad ones.

I would like to see the original alloy, and I also agree with SCD Hunter that 484,000 2009-S vdb wheat cents should be minted and released at random into circulation. Now that would stimulate the hobby!

SUMORADA · January 1, 2009 1:29AM

I like #3.....

The 2009 Pennies: Yours thoughts on the new designs

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