olympicsos

The definition of moderns will likely change over time. Before 1934 was the dividing line, then it became 1964. I bet when new compositions for circulating coins are issued, that will be yet another dividing line.

Here's an article showing that Turkish mint production outpaces the US Mint https://thegoldobserver.substack.com/p/turkish-mint-outpaces-u-s-mint Also certain gold dealers can deliver bars to the Turkish mint and request gold coins in specific sizes much like how the US operated a long time ago.

The Turkish mint is in Istanbul.

The Turkish mint is the world's largest producer of gold bullion coins (even outpacing the US and Canadian mints) and for the sentimental value that gold has in Turkish culture (much more than American culture as gold coins are given as wedding gifts, births etc.) the handling of the coins at the mint is horrible. Many of them would end up in a details holder or body bag even. I've never seen a Turkish gold coin grade higher than MS63 or MS64. West Point does a pretty good job! Go to 4:03

We had 90% silver but the mint preferred .999 silver because of quality and cost efficiency reasons. To be honest if we are going to deviate from the historical circulating composition and decide to basically do bullion rounds with an uneven amount of silver, might as well discontinue the silver proof set. My suggestion would be to make the Morgan and Peace Dollars 1 ounce silver coins, any silver half 1/2 ounce, any silver quarter 1/4 ounce and so on so forth. No need for a 1 oz silver eagle + .858 oz silver dollar that's .999 fine. Make them all even ounces.

It's not like customers are happy campers https://www.businessinsider.com/costco-silver-coins-scratched-damaged-bullion-royal-canadian-mint-reviews-2024-3

Most coin legislation that passes congress these days passes congress on unanimous consent. Yes congress frequently disagrees on big stuff that gets them attention, but stuff like coinage is on the bottom of their priority lists. All it takes is a couple people with money to fundamentally reshape coinage, especially coinage that doesn't circulate.

Both. The 2009 UHR was minted to demand, there was no mintage limit. You can also have congress push through a program which would allow for a modern day large cent program. Large cents capture collector imagination just like silver dollars do and we have modern silver dollars.

If I won millions upon millions, I'd spend my money lobbying Congress to open the door for more modern versions of classic designs. Why get into an egotistical bidding war for proof pre 1933 gold, when many examples of lets say matte proof Saints were doctored in the 1980s. At least I can open the door for more people to be able to have a matte proof Saint or a proof $20 Liberty or a proof Indian Head $5 or a fully struck type 2 Standing Liberty Quarter or an Amazonian Silver Dollar. Given how the prices of everything is rising (including coins and CAC is a factor in coin premiums rising), it would encourage more people to spend disposable income that they otherwise wouldn't have on coins.

I was reading this article by our very own @RWBand I can't help but think when looking at the Classic Head gold that Christian Gobrecht never designed a coin completely on his own. The Coronet Head looks like a fixed up version of the Classic Head. Even the reverse of all Gobrecht coins looked like he just modified existing designs. https://coinweek.com/practical-coin-grading-concepts-average-collector/

With the way things are going with modern remakes, if I had $150K, I might as well spend it on lobbyists to introduce legislation to have the US Mint reissue modern versions of the most beautiful designs.

Thanks for the insight! I would assume that this objection might also apply to the modern era sculptors or engravers like Gasparro, Jones, Mercanti, Menna etc. Sandblast surfaces are really an acquired taste, but once I realized that a non polished surface would be the artists original intent, it's really hard to look at mirror proof coins the same. Especially considering there are coin salespeople who hype proof coins as coins that are intended to match the artists original intent.

I wonder if any other artists of coins other than the Renaissance artists objected to polished surfaces? Or whether any mint engravers objected to polished surfaces? Which designers preferred polished surfaces? Reading about the Renaissance artists objection made me wonder.

Think about it, a half dime with the clad composition would be smaller than a dime and the dime costs less than five cents to make.

More than any president I think the nickel should be replaced with a half dime for circulation. That would really cut down on production costs and make five cent pieces profitable for the government.