Does anyone have any thoughts about the designs of our present coinage? I like what they did and are doing to the Jefferson Piece, but thats just it, its the same Jefferson head coin. I guess you may equate these coin days like the mid 19th century when all there was were Liberty head everything, or seated coins. What we need today is a total redesign of all our coinage from the 1 cent piece (yes shall i dare say Mr. Lincoln needs to give it up) to the Kennedy Half. I dare say bring back the Indian Penny, it looked better. After all, Lincoln is on the $5.00 bill.
Since the Nickle has been redesigned, let is stay but please get rid of the plain dime or at least give it a new look. The quarter has been redesigned to fit the State Issues, but what will happen after all the states have been represented? Get rid of it and bring back the Liberty Stading quarter. Lets put some beauty into our coins since they are worth nothing. I thank God that the congress saw fid to chuck the Franklin Half but gave us an equally drab obverse as the Kennedy Half, but I can live with it for now.

All joking aside, what do you think? Lets hear!

We've beaten this issue like a dead horse. Most people here agree with you but for various reasons, mainly political, the coins will stay the mostly unchanged. The cent will have a reverse redesign in 2009 and beyond but I think the only way we lose Lincoln is if the cent is eliminated. We are stuck with Jefferson on the nickel as Virginia Law makers pushed thru a bill mandating it. Several attempts to put Regan on the dime and half dollar failed and North Dakota got Sacagawea retained on the dollar during the President dollar program.
Personally I feel once the president dollar program is finished and all the Politicians have had their coin we should go back to Artistic coins like the Walker and SLQ(new designs).

This discussion is as old as Numismatic journals. When you go back and look at the comments in 1893, or 1916/1917, or any time there was a change you will find complaints.

I think coin collectors just like to hear themselves

Truthfully, we have been very lucky the last 6 or 7 years. Look at how many different designs we have had with the State Quarters and also with the nickel and the Sacagawea Dollar. That's a lot of new designs. And, Liberty on our coinage? The Statue of Liberty is going to be on the new dollars. That is a pretty good representation.

I remember reading in the Electronic Numismatist in an issue from 1892 or 3, I think it was, about how the public and collectors reacted to the Barber Coinage. It wasn't a good reaction. Same with contemporary articles about the Flowing hair designs and chain cent. Sometimes we are too close to things to appreciate the things we do have.

Would I rather see the Presidents ejected from our coins? Of course. But I wouldn't want to rehash old designs to do it. Our coinage needs a complete redesign but I don't think we will get a lot more than we already have.

Be careful of what you ask for - you might just get it. And you might not like what it is you get

I know I didn't.

It could be worse. We could be doing what we did in our first 100 plus years of coinage. We could have a Lincoln cent, Jefferson nickel, Washington dime, Washington quarter, Washington half dollar and Washington dollar. If they got real crazy, they might put a wreath instead of the standard eagle on the dime.

All I really care for is high (or higher) relief coins. These flat disks we call "coins" suck! Coins of the 60s and 70s, though base-metal, are far superior to today's spaghetti-head quarters, flat-head Kennedies, low relief Lincolns, etc. (same for Canada, Euros, and many others.)

One other thing I don't care for in our new designs is the 'Facing You' subject. It seemed to have started with the Sacagawea and then made its way to the Jefferson nickel and now the designs for the dollar all seem to be facing us instead of a profile.

I think it looks better on paper than on a coin. Maybe that is what we get since we don't do pattern coins any more? But it wil be interesting to see the result of some of these when (if in some cases) they start to show progressive wear. I think they are going to look odd real quick.

I addressed this at some length in a different thread, and threw out a design for a Teddy Roosevelt coin (which wouldn't qualify under my schema in the first link but might make a nice circulating commemorative). Maybe this is the time to sit down and Photoshop up the whole doggone proposed mint set.

Bring back the wheat back cent and you won't hear a word from me

Or just bring back Liberty.....either one is fine!

Ooo. You guys talking about relief: this is from Section 6 of the bill authorizing the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial pennies and reverse redesign:

"It is the sense of the Congress that the original Victor David Brenner design for the 1-cent coin was a dramatic departure from previous American coinage that should be reproduced, using the original form and relief of the likeness of Abraham Lincoln, on the 1-cent coins issued in 2009." (italics added)

They're also gonna hammer out some of the '09s in real bronze, not copper-washed zinc--oh, I hope those will be in the proof sets, those will be pretty. It's a step in the right direction, it is...

SEC. 204. NUMISMATIC PENNIES WITH THE SAME METAL-
LIC CONTENT AS THE 1909 PENNY.

The Secretary of the Treasury shall issue 1-cent coins
in 2009 with the exact metallic content as the 1-cent coin
contained in 1909 in such number as the Secretary deter-
mines to be appropriate for numismatic purposes.

Sounds like mint and proof sets to me.

Me too. Don't care. They'll look stunning. I mean, how long has it been since a really high relief bronze cent rolled off the lines? I may even get a spare (unc, not proof, f'pete's sake!) just to have one I can handle.

That'll be a fun proof set in '09, what with the additional four Presidential dollars, the standard dollar, half, quarter, dime and nickel, and four pennies. Probably a good thing the statehood series will be done by then... holy cats, I'd herniate the mailman!