What do you think is the best coin design of the past 115 years?

[brg5658]

Africa, circulation issues

The Kruger-Gray designed coinage of South Africa has always been a big draw. Kruger-Gray is among my top 5 favorite coin designers. He was amazingly prolific in designing coinage. Below is a proof issue of a design that was also used for the circulation issue shilling.

Africa, commemoratives

This pair of "matching" Olympics commemorative issues from Congo and Ghana in 2001 have always delighted me. One is the incuse version of the quadriga (Congo), exactly the same as the design on the other in relief (Ghana). I also really like the lion on the Congo coin.

 

 

Africa, bullion/NCLT

In 2004, Togo issued a pair of "concave" and "convex" design coins. These could be classified as commemoratives also I suppose. Not all countries differentiate between a commemorative issue and bullion/NCLT issue like we do for USA coinage. Regardless, these coins are quite simple designs, but pretty far up on my "cool and unique" list of coin designs.

[Critter8880]

Mohawk,

You said it buddy this would have potentially been a great discussion. I too am tired of US coin parties. While I am an American, and have some of its coinage it's only part of the world. There is more to our collective histories as people than just the coinage of our birthplaces. I have seen too many ugly American perspectives showcasing ethnocentrism and cultural colonialism from U.S. only collectors. There is more to the world than simply what we see in our backyards and the structures that comprise our own culture(s).

 

Critter8880, I am a collector of primarily non-USA coinage. I also live in the USA, and do identify with some of your sentiments above. However, have you heard the phrase, "sugar will catch more flies than vinegar"? I try to get people interested in non-USA coins by posting pictures and exposing people to something "foreign" to them -- not by lamenting the USA-centric slant of these boards. I do agree with you that this thread took the (somewhat expected) "USA-centric" path -- and a few posters didn't catch the "within the last 115 years" part of the question -- but, all is not lost. I will post some of my favorites from around the world below.

 

First of all I want you to know your coins are awesome!

 

Let me explain myself here....

When I was in 10th grade I had a global teacher, Mr. Caywood. Mr. Caywood treated us all like insufficiently_thoughtful_person kids ruled by our hormones who did not care about the world. It was the only year in history I did not get good grades, because the guy's attitudes were so off putting. I was not trying to Mr. Caywood anyone.

I have mentored younger collectors and helped them explore the many paths of numismatics. All paths are valid.

 

My point was this is listed under numismatic general and was designed to be a world survey in numismatics. I am a graduate student in a history and culture program, and if I handed in a paper where only one requirement of many was fulfilled I would be given a failing grade. The assignment was not tell me all your favorite United States coins, and listed under U.S. Coins. The point of this particular exercise was to think broadly and to demonstrate breadth and diversity in numismatics. That is what I was lamenting.

 

U.S. Coins are interesting, but people needed to not just put a barrage of U.S. coins on display. I'm not some snobby world collector who just champions for non-U.S. coins I champion for all areas of numismatics and peoples. I am an ethnomusicologist which is a form of cultural anthropology. I've taken part in many conversations in real life and on the internet where I've heard American collectors with disrespectful attitudes. Maybe I am a bit sensitive but I see the long ripples of people with U.S. only attitudes, which comes off to others as highly ethnocentric. The barrage of American coinage without touching on the other categories was that. I admire your rosy perspective, but I've met too many who just lack the desire to learn. I have seen too many ugly attitudes, and the ripples they make.

[Mohawk]

First off....BRG, those are some really GREAT coins!! I love everything you posted. If the post had gone in this direction in the first place, Critter and I wouldn't have had to say what we said and it would have been one of the most fun discussions I've ever had on here. I see your thoughts on "getting more flies with honey" and I completely respect your perspective.

 

However, I agree more with the perspective of Critter. I cannot tell you how many times, both here and on other coin boards, that I've seen an attempted international coin thread be hijacked by a bunch of US collectors and their US coins. It's very frustrating and, honestly, quite annoying and even disrespectful. I'm a college instructor and doctoral student in my non-numismatic life. If I look at Roger's original post as an assignment, only Critter and I and now yourself would have received a passing grade.

 

The rest of them would have failed, and failed bad. They only did one tiny part of the assignment and, more importantly in my thoughts, totally missed the concept behind it. It was meant to be an international post, where we were supposed to think internationally and deeply to come up with our favorite coins of the whole world. But, this sadly did not happen and it turned into another barrage of the same old, tired US coins. It could have been a ton of fun, but it turned out to be more of the same old stuff.

 

Now, I know a lot of people dig US coins and collect them. I respect that. I have a couple of US coins in my collection. But how many threads do US coins and collectors need to have? They have their own section of the board where they can post as many pics and posts about the same old US coins as they want. They also have whole sections of other boards to do the same thing. Why do we international people have to keep getting bombarded with all of their US stuff and just stand by and say nothing about it? I'm sorry, but I do find it obnoxious that a whole bunch of people essentially completely ignored most of the survey and proceeded to make it into another conglomeration of US coins. If it had been what do you think are the best US Coin designs of the past 115 years, I wouldn't be writing this. But it wasn't, and I am annoyed at how it went and I want to speak my piece.

 

Critter is right. The attitudes mentioned by Critter are displayed by this kind of behavior, whether it is knowingly or unknowingly. I've met many US collectors that, sadly, knowingly display these attitudes. That's the feeling I got from many of the replies to this thread. They just ignored everything other than the US part, and I do believe that can be a reflection of people's attitudes outside of coins. I agree with Critter on that because I've seen it. It's a bad way to think. I also realize that this could have been done innocently, but it's hard to believe some of that when the parameters were so clearly and boldly stated. I think that some US guys just wanted to come in here and bombard it with US coins. And they succeeded, unfortunately.

 

I guess I just wish that there would have been more respect and thoughtfulness displayed in this thread. Respect for Roger's original survey, and respect for those of us who do collect internationally and want a place to share that without being blasted with US coins all the time. They have their space, we should have ours and have it respected. But, some good did come out of it for me. I'm starting a Custom Set, a truly international set to show off my favorites from all over the world. And true to the spirit of what I'm saying, I will include some US coins there. But only if I find them beautiful. I realize how important a project like that is now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Six Mile Rick]

I did think this was going to be a swell read as it started. However there was only ONE world coins (non mexico) picture poster

Maybe BRG is the only world coin collector here with camera skills.

Critter and Mohawk - plenty said but ---- Where are the pics?

 

The bitter sweet complaints of US and World collectors here did get me reminded of a far away world collector friend that collects U.S. coins. Nunfa0 in New Zealand has been gone a while but I did send a Happy New Year (Cheers) out to him. ---- Thanks Guys for a mental update.

 

Brandon that Kruger-Grey is very eye appealing and it would interest me in starting a set if ever a chance is available. SWEET!!!

[Critter8880]

I'll take some pics later

But I have to ask can't a researched opinion stand on its own, without pictures or other forms of media?

[Mohawk]

Critter,

Once again, I agree with you. To Rick, you know I have camera skills, my friend. All of my Registries have photos of every coin and my sales always have photos as well. I may not be as polished as some members here, but I do pretty well and I get by. I didn't post any because I thought that would be A LOT of pics, and I was concerned about cluttering up the thread. I see now that my line of thought was likely incorrect and I should have gone for it.

 

But the pics aren't the point, I'd say. The point was an attempted international thread being hijacked by US collectors and US coins once again. More pics would not have changed that basic fact. The thread was taken over by a bunch of posters who only posted replies to the US part of Roger's survey, ignored the rest of it and filled it with US coins, both in photos and without. That was the point Critter and I were lamenting, that another attempted international discussion thread was bombarded by US people once again, who ignored the parameters of and spirit of the post and filled the post with US coins, with no thought of not doing so. And, yes, it was annoying and disrespectful.

 

More pics by Critter and I wouldn't change that basic fact. The thread still would have become a plague of US coin posts even with more pics by Critter and I. There's a whole US section of the board. Why do the US guys have to come and hijack international threads? That was the other point I was trying to make and lamenting.

 

Now, I know a lot of people collect US coins. I sell a lot of US coins, and I respect that people enjoy them even if I'm not much of a fan and I do respect people who collect them. But I do get mad when we international people cannot have our space to discuss and contemplate without being bombarded constantly with US collectors and US coins. It makes me feel like the respect does not go two ways.

 

Now that I've said my piece, here's my answer to some photos. This is my new Custom Set, which is going to be my main priority, of my favorite designs from around the world. It's just a start, but you can see some of the coins I mentioned there.

 

https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=20104

 

Now I have pics and I don't feel like I am cluttering the thread.

 

~Tom

[Critter8880]

Thank you Mohawk that was exactly my point, but I thought by now I would be perceived as snobby or like a jerk who doesn't listen, by reiterating my initial argument . This has nothing to do with photos, but rather a bunch of U.S. Collectors hijacking the the thread with U.S. coins. The point of this was to have a broad and diverse international discussion. Not just here are the "U.S. coins I love, and only those, while ignoring the other categories." That's what I find so frustrating. Pictures are a moot point.

[Critter8880]

One more point I love your new set Mohawk!

I'm going to make one too.

[brg5658]

Now that I've said my piece, here's my answer to some photos. This is my new Custom Set, which is going to be my main priority, of my favorite designs from around the world. It's just a start, but you can see some of the coins I mentioned there.

 

https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=20104

 

Tom, nice set. I have had such a set for 3.5 years...

 

Link to my favorite world coins set

 

I also have a similar "toned copper only" favorite coin set here.

 

Best,

Brandon

[ComicConnoisseur]

US circulation. This. Just because it started my path on the love of coins.

Grandfather gave me a bunch when I was a kid.

 

[Mohawk]

Brandon,

That is a sweet collection!! The funny thing is that I saw your set last night before you posted the link, and I thought is was just amazing! I love the aesthetics of the designs you selected. Very very nice, my friend. Also, thanks for posting a link to your toned copper set. I didn't see that one last night, and it too is absolutely amazing! You should be so proud of those collections! If my set is half as nice as yours once it matures further, I'll be very happy. Your photos are awesome too! I can take photos that do the job, but they're nowhere near as nice as yours.

 

Thanks for sharing that with us!

 

~Tom

[Mohawk]

US circulation. This. Just because it started my path on the love of coins.

Grandfather gave me a bunch when I was a kid.

 

 

Wow.....really? After everything, I think I just have to laugh! No disrespect meant.

[ComicConnoisseur]

US circulation. This. Just because it started my path on the love of coins.

Grandfather gave me a bunch when I was a kid.

 

 

Wow.....really? After everything, I think I just have to laugh! No disrespect meant.

The coins will probably never be worth much,but I got to think the 1964 Kennedy half will go down as one of the most influential coins that got people into coin collecting,similar to the Washington state quarters. The Washington state quarters will never have great value,but just like the Kennedy 64 half dollar they launched a lot of people into coin collecting!

There is the true beauty!