The Best Coin of the Golden Era 1 1

[1917]

Ranking the Top Three coins of the early 20th century US coin designs

[1917]

for some reason several of the options didn't come through for the "Best Coin"

If the coin you wanted to select for that isn't there, my apologies, and please note which coin you would have selected in the comments

[kbbpll]

What's the definition of "golden era"?

[Moxie15]

your choices for best coin are a Who's Who of the coins with the worst striking problems in the twentieth century if not the history of the US mint. 

I vote none of the above, sorry

[Big Nub numismatics]

The Lincoln cent had plenty of good striking years. In terms of design, I think the wheat cent is the most iconic (older generations still tend to cling on to these even if not collecting) of the 20th century, but in terms of best, I have no idea why Mercury dime or buffalo nickel failed to make it to even be voted on for number one.

SLQ is a great design, but with serious striking flaws, it's hard to find a nice example with all of the details present. 

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Big Nub numismatics

[kbbpll]

I'm still curious what defines "golden era". It implies a period that somebody has already decided has the best designs, whether I agree or not. I would have put buffalo nickel in the top spot, given the choices, even though it's a bison, not a buffalo. The Native American is real instead of some hokey Caucasian Indian princess with a war bonnet, the bison is one of my favorite animals, and the depictions on both sides, given a good strike, to me are phenomenal.

Wheat cents are downright boring. We're all sick of wreaths of vegetation by 1909. I don't know why it even makes the list.

The Peace dollar portrait's expression always struck me as vacuous and oddly pseudo-sensual. I love the eagle on the reverse though. It still amuses me that they had to tell her to cover up on the Standing Liberty.

[bsshog40]

Out of what was offered, I had to vote for the Liberty Walking Half Dollar all three times. None of the others really impressed me. 

[1917]

4 hours ago, Big Nub numismatics said:

The Lincoln cent had plenty of good striking years. In terms of design, I think the wheat cent is the most iconic (older generations still tend to cling on to these even if not collecting) of the 20th century, but in terms of best, I have no idea why Mercury dime or buffalo nickel failed to make it to even be voted on for number one.

SLQ is a great design, but with serious striking flaws, it's hard to find a nice example with all of the details present. 

 

that was, as noted in above post in this topic, merely a technical error. I intended for all six coins to be in all three questions

[1917]

2 hours ago, kbbpll said:

I'm still curious what defines "golden era". It implies a period that somebody has already decided has the best designs, whether I agree or not. I would have put buffalo nickel in the top spot, given the choices, even though it's a bison, not a buffalo. The Native American is real instead of some hokey Caucasian Indian princess with a war bonnet, the bison is one of my favorite animals, and the depictions on both sides, given a good strike, to me are phenomenal.

Wheat cents are downright boring. We're all sick of wreaths of vegetation by 1909. I don't know why it even makes the list.

The Peace dollar portrait's expression always struck me as vacuous and oddly pseudo-sensual. I love the eagle on the reverse though. It still amuses me that they had to tell her to cover up on the Standing Liberty.

as noted in above post in topic, there was a technical error. I had intended for all six coins to be in all six questions

[1917]

also, the term Golden Era is used in reference to the artistic merit of the design, not the coin's ability to last in circulation (otherwise, we'd be voting on which C. Barber coin was best). Perhaps some may disagree, but I consider this to be the ideal time period of us coin design because nearly all, if not all, of the coins make a case for an very good coin. Thus, I'm not saying that one of these is the best all time, but that all six when put against six of other eras as a unit is better. This is even before one considers gold issues, for example,  the stunning (and arguable one of the best if not the best us coin) St. Guaden's double eagle.

Actually, that might make for an interesting poll; which era is the golden era? The only question is what is the best way to divide time periods. I would think they would go something like this: Early US (the very first us coins, plus large most large cents, 1804 dollar, etc.) , then mid-18th century (like seated liberty, flying eagle penny, Indian Head cent, the two cent, and three cent, etc.) , then late 18th (Morgan dollar, Trade dollar, 20 cent, V-nickel, etc.)  , then early 20th (the coins in this poll), and finally modern (the stuff we got now, unless it were to be divided into two sections, modern, and modern current, if only because of stuff like Franklin halves, Ike dollars, etc.).

I think the designs would be assigned eras based off of when the design was introduced. I would like to know, should the era's be divided by a general idea of when they are, or be assigned specific dates based off the general ideas?

[Walkerfan]

Obviously, I like the Walker and the Standing Liberty is a close second.  I collect BOTH.  If forced to choose a third from the options given; I'd pick the Buffalo Nickel.  I like Morgans better than Buffs, however, but they came a bit earlier, of course.  

Edited July 22, 2020 by Walkerfan

[1917]

this is interesting... thus far the Buffalo nickel is not only tied for second, but it is leading in third as well...

[VKurtB]

On 7/22/2020 at 10:27 AM, 1917 said:

this is interesting... thus far the Buffalo nickel is not only tied for second, but it is leading in third as well...

Maybe it's the "real" #1, since it wasn't offered there? After all, that's the coin that all our grandfathers could use to buy nearly anything.

Edited July 23, 2020 by VKurtB

[LINCOLNMAN]

21 hours ago, VKurtB said:

Maybe it's the "real" #1, since it wasn't offered there? After all, that's the coin that all our grandfathers could use to buy nearly anything.

Could be. 50c was a lot of money back then. I would still put the Walker first, but no argument from me if the Buffalo were chosen. Both sides are uniquely American.  

[Coinbuf]

Well the wheat cent is the best in my book no matter what the results  but as I am a longtime cent collector my opinion may be just a touch biased.    

[Henri Charriere]

On 7/21/2020 at 3:17 PM, Moxie15 said:

your choices for best coin are a Who's Who of the coins with the worst striking problems in the twentieth century if not the history of the US mint. 

I vote none of the above, sorry

I am very curious to know what your choices would have been.

[Moxie15]

1 hour ago, Quintus Arrius said:

I am very curious to know what your choices would have been.

I don't know maybe the Walking half. It is hard to beat a fully struck for beauty, but I have seen so few

[Henri Charriere]

1 hour ago, Moxie15 said:

I don't know maybe the Walking half. It is hard to beat a fully struck for beauty, but I have seen so few

Your reply had me doing a double-take. None of the above? The Liberty Walking Half won by a landslide!

[numisport]

By Golden Era I think of Teddy Roosevelt's request to redesign coinage as the Renaissance Era described by Roger in his 3 volume works.

[RWB]

The best overall coin design in America is the Buffalo nickel. It is the only circulating coin with a single theme expressed in a coherent, unified manner.

[Henri Charriere]

15 minutes ago, RWB said:

The best overall coin design in America is the Buffalo nickel. It is the only circulating coin with a single theme expressed in a coherent, unified manner.

I cannot help but feel that but for that rather generic shield on the reverse, the Indian Head penny would have been a contender. My favorite? Nothing beats the Flying Eagle cent for sheer simplicity with country, date and denomination, not to mention that lovely eagle in flight.

[1917]

On 7/24/2020 at 4:15 PM, Moxie15 said:

I don't know maybe the Walking half. It is hard to beat a fully struck for beauty, but I have seen so few

I got one that is pretty close, if not there, on my registry set (it's a 1936-P in MS64)

[1917]

On 7/23/2020 at 4:29 PM, VKurtB said:

Maybe it's the "real" #1, since it wasn't offered there? After all, that's the coin that all our grandfathers could use to buy nearly anything.

yeah, still regretting that technical errror.... really thought for once I was operating the computer right, lol...does anyone know if it's possible to edit the polls after they are started

[Henri Charriere]

On 7/24/2020 at 2:41 PM, Coinbuf said:

Well the wheat cent is the best in my book no matter what the results  but as I am a longtime cent collector my opinion may be just a touch biased.    

I am trying to remember when these wheaties began vanishing from change. If not for their copper content, would they still be around? Probably not, though I did get one in change two years ago. There is nothing wrong with your "best" choice.  (I am partial to one-hit wonders like the 1837 Feuctwanger, but nobody asked so I'm going to keep that to myself.) 

[World Colonial]

The two US coins that I consider the most distinctively American are the Buffalo Nickel and IHC.  

[olympicsos]

On 7/26/2020 at 2:36 PM, RWB said:

The best overall coin design in America is the Buffalo nickel. It is the only circulating coin with a single theme expressed in a coherent, unified manner.

I'd say that about the Oregon Trail Half.

[RWB]

4 hours ago, olympicsos said:

I'd say that about the Oregon Trail Half.

Same team of artists. But Oregon Trail is not a circulation coin.

[VKurtB]

On 8/3/2020 at 9:25 PM, RWB said:

Same team of artists. But Oregon Trail is not a circulation coin.

True, but there sure have been more than a few “pocket pieces”.

[olympicsos]

On 8/3/2020 at 9:25 PM, RWB said:

Same team of artists. But Oregon Trail is not a circulation coin.

I thought commemoratives are included in best overall coin design. 

[VKurtB]

1 hour ago, olympicsos said:

I thought commemoratives are included in best overall coin design. 

And worst.