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Topic is "dumb coins"--updated with the answer
RedTiger
Posts: 5,608 ✭
The topic at my local club next month is "dumb coins." If you were asked to talk on that topic, what subjects might you bring up? What coins might you bring to demonstrate? If an ANA governor gives the talk (which is the case) what topics would you like to see covered?
Those that are in the Los Angeles area, that might want to come to hear the talk, details are in link to an old forum thread below:
link to old thread
/edit to add:
The presentation about "dumb coins" by ANA governor Walt Ostromecki, was about coins that lack a denomination, country of origin, or date.
The most famous American example is the 1883 Liberty "no cents" nickel. The only clue to value is the "V," and as we all know "cents" was added relatively quickly. Early American dollars and halves, all the three cent coins, and the Norfolk commem are other examples of dumb American coins. As for foreign coins, there are many. England never put their country on their coins and still doesn't. Coins from the English Commonwealth are the same design but have the country and the denomination.
Those that are in the Los Angeles area, that might want to come to hear the talk, details are in link to an old forum thread below:
link to old thread
/edit to add:
The presentation about "dumb coins" by ANA governor Walt Ostromecki, was about coins that lack a denomination, country of origin, or date.
The most famous American example is the 1883 Liberty "no cents" nickel. The only clue to value is the "V," and as we all know "cents" was added relatively quickly. Early American dollars and halves, all the three cent coins, and the Norfolk commem are other examples of dumb American coins. As for foreign coins, there are many. England never put their country on their coins and still doesn't. Coins from the English Commonwealth are the same design but have the country and the denomination.
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Comments
<< <i>There are no "dumb coins", just "dumb coin owners".
Reporting as ordered sir.
<< <i>The topic at my local club next month is "dumb coins." If you were asked to talk on that topic, what subjects might you bring up? What coins might you bring to demonstrate? If an ANA governor gives the talk (which is the case) what topics would you like to see covered?
Those that are in the Los Angeles area, that might want to come to hear the talk, details are in link to an old forum thread below:
link to old thread >>
This would all be strickly a matter of opinion. At this point in time, I believe the Lincoln cent (any cent really) may be considered a "dumb coin" because what will a cent buy anyway? I honestly can't think of anything that a single cent will buy. You can't even get a gum ball anymore. The nickel isn't far behind that.
I suppose historically, the 20c piece could be considered a "dumb coin" since it was such a short issue. The US Govt deemed it unnecessary since the quarter was doing the job and was far more popular with the public.
Dwayne F. Sessom
Ebay ID: V-Nickel-Coins
My V Nickel Registry Set - https://pcgs.com/setregistry/alltimeset/71874
And this view and attitude can be reinforced when the general public dabbles or purchases coins themselves, when they make horrible coin purchases themselves. The arrary of "dumb" coins they may purchase range from plated and colorized coins, coins struck by private mints, to spurious sets of coins, all of these being sold at grossly overpriced premiums.
Dumb coins can pretty much apply to many coin purchases if such a premium is paid that the buyer can never come close to recovering the majority of what they paid for the coin.
Joe.
were used and circulated. They tell the calamities they met along the way as well as
those they escaped. If they haven't circulated then they have more to say about how
and why they were minted. Many details are discernable.
Coins that don't say much are those which are uniform and have little wear or that
have decades of circulation stripped away by severe damage after the fact. They are
coins like a 1992 Lincoln cent that has sat in numerous hoards and has blottchy un-
attractive surfaces.
<< <i>4$ Stella's and 2c pieces seem a bit retarded to me. >>
How exactly are they "slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress"
<< <i>Susan B. Anthony dollars. When they first came out they were confused with quarters and eventually never circulated.
Joe. >>
I agree with Joe. You'd think it wouldn't have taken a lot of forethought to realize it was too close to the size of the circulating quarter...
Jim
<< <i>
<< <i>Susan B. Anthony dollars. When they first came out they were confused with quarters and eventually never circulated.
Joe. >>
I agree with Joe. You'd think it wouldn't have taken a lot of forethought to realize it was too close to the size of the circulating quarter... >>
Yes, they were a "dumb" idea by Congress and the first inklings of PC regarding what goes on a coin.
Gasparro had a great design and had it been combined with a golden color (which had also been a proposal) the Small Dollar might not have been such a dumb idea.
But, as is typical with ANY large grouping of folks, sometimes the dumbest and most insane ideas get implemented.
The name is LEE!
Now we'll spend many millions of dollars to find a metallic composition on
which we can lose even more money. We'll just keep throwing good mon-
ey after bad apparently.
<< <i>No coin can possibly be stupider than a 2008 cent unless it's the 2010.
Now we'll spend many millions of dollars to find a metallic composition on
which we can lose even more money. We'll just keep throwing good mon-
ey after bad apparently. >>
I have to agree. And I'd go further and say the Nickel is in the same arena given the "value" of our lowest denomination coins. Today $1 is worth about the same as a quarter was worth in 1914. The dime is equivalent one half-cent in 1914 today. Congress decided 153 years ago that the half-cent was no longer a useful circulating denomination because it's value was so low. Yet we have 3 circulating coins today that are worth as much or less than a half-cent in 1914. I wonder how much that 1854 half-cent would purchase in today's economyh?
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BONGO HURTLES ALONG THE RAIN SODDEN HIGHWAY OF LIFE ON UNDERINFLATED BALD RETREAD TIRES
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Morgan dollars were dumb coins for their time when no one wanted or needed them and even dumber after being melted in 1918, sold to India and then recoined again in 1921.
First Spouse $10 gold coins are "dumb coins" too.
"Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."
~Wayne
<< <i>First Spouse $10 gold coins are "dumb coins" too. >>
Agree. More P. C. nonsense.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
She says she has the "Certificate of Authenticity". When she one day said Gold is $1,000 an ounce and she turned her $100 into over $4,000
that's when I told her they are fakes. Bring one into work and let me see it I said. She replied she didn't want to bring in something "that valuable". I said just bring in the certificate then. She has not done that and still insists the coins are real!
https://acoinshop.com/ —-> https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
<< <i>
<< <i>There are no "dumb coins", just "dumb coin owners".
Reporting as ordered sir.
I got a good laugh outa that one richardshipp
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Susan B. Anthony dollars. When they first came out they were confused with quarters and eventually never circulated.
Joe. >>
I agree with Joe. You'd think it wouldn't have taken a lot of forethought to realize it was too close to the size of the circulating quarter... >>
Yes, they were a "dumb" idea by Congress and the first inklings of PC regarding what goes on a coin. >>
If Liberty was wanted on the small dollar, then we should have not regularly placed only dead white males on our coinage. Calling something "PC" seems to only express disagreement and nothing more. A Liberty cap small dollar slightly larger than a quarter, with the same edge as a quarter, and the same color as a quarter would probably have been only as successful as the SBA dollar.
Ed. S.
(EJS)
Steve
I don't remember any cashier being happy to get an Ike, SBA, Sac or President dollar from me. They even get puzzled over half dollars.
<< <i>Today $1 is worth about the same as a quarter was worth in 1914. The dime is equivalent one half-cent in 1914 today. >>
Houston, we have a math problem.
<< <i>
<< <i>Today $1 is worth about the same as a quarter was worth in 1914. The dime is equivalent one half-cent in 1914 today. >>
Houston, we have a math problem. >>
You made my day
Blackborder, that is funny.
https://acoinshop.com/ —-> https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
"Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."
~Wayne
<< <i>There are no "dumb coins", just "dumb coin owners".
Well, there are dumb people who enact coinage legislation (Congress).
Copper-plated zinc cents.
Whit
Although they do limit downside risk - if silver goes below 5 cents an ounce we can spend them . . .
<< <i>A perfect U.S. example of a "dumb" coin would be the three cent silver & nickel issues >>
weren't postage stamps 3 cents at the time? i recall the $3 gold pieces were manufactured to make it easier for businesses to buy stamps.
60 years into this hobby and I'm still working on my Lincoln set!
<< <i>
<< <i>A perfect U.S. example of a "dumb" coin would be the three cent silver & nickel issues >>
weren't postage stamps 3 cents at the time? i recall the $3 gold pieces were manufactured to make it easier for businesses to buy stamps. >>
This never made sense to me. A sheet of 100 stamps in 1854 would have lasted the typical american several years. Prior to the Civil War, the government didn't issue paper money and all the paper money in circulation was issued by banks and private companies such as the railroads and other large industries. At the time, the $3 note was a popular denomination for these notes which is probably why the $3 coin was issued.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Don't blame the coin, it didn't choose to be struck with a lousy design!
All kidding aside, I think the following were 'dumb' decisions:
Trying to introduce a circulating dollar coin from the 1970s onward while the paper dollar still circulates
Reducing the artistic quality found on many of the initial designs for various state quarters, resulting in low-relief work which sometimes resembled line-art
Issuing the current cents and five cents at a loss - don't get me wrong, these were great coins, but we need to look at either eliminating them entirely or changing the composition. In the former case, we may need to even look at a re-calibration of the entire coinage system of the US.
In the UK, reducing the size of the five, ten and fifty pence coins in the early 1990s. If they were going to reduce the size, they should have switched the designs, as the designs lost much of their impact on a smaller flan with lower relief. This is of course a moot point with the general re-design which occurred last year.
<< <i>Susan B. Anthony dollars. When they first came out they were confused with quarters and eventually never circulated.
Joe. >>
That was my thought, as well. And it didn't even take hindsight to figure out that would happen.
<< <i>
<< <i>Susan B. Anthony dollars. When they first came out they were confused with quarters and eventually never circulated.
Joe. >>
That was my thought, as well. And it didn't even take hindsight to figure out that would happen.
As a kid, I remember putting a quarter in an arcade game (probably space invaders), the quarter jammed. I pounded on the coin return. Out came my quarter, and an SBA.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Today $1 is worth about the same as a quarter was worth in 1914. The dime is equivalent one half-cent in 1914 today. >>
Houston, we have a math problem. >>
You made my day
Blackborder, that is funny. >>
No Math problem, just the wrong denomination. The $5 bill is worth $0.24 in 1914 currency, which means the $1 bill is only worth about 5-cents. Dividing by ten, means the dime is the equivalent of a half-cent.
Apologies for those Math wizzes out there. But at the end of the day, when comparing the correct denomination value to 1914, the math is correct. Sorry 'bout that.
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BONGO HURTLES ALONG THE RAIN SODDEN HIGHWAY OF LIFE ON UNDERINFLATED BALD RETREAD TIRES
The presentation about "dumb coins" by ANA governor Walt Ostromecki, was about coins that lack a denomination, country of origin, or date.
The most famous American example is the 1883 Liberty "no cents" nickel. The only clue to value is the "V," and as we all know "cents" was added relatively quickly. Early American dollars and halves, all the three cent coins, and the Norfolk commem are other examples of dumb American coins. As for foreign coins, there are many. England never put their country on their coins and still doesn't. Coins from the English Commonwealth are the same design but have the country and the denomination.
Cheers.