ikaros

Just make sure you're not changing your vote next Monday when I'm collecting the final results.

I'm still not sure if congratulations or condolences are more appropriate.

Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way Winner Art's 2005 Luxembourg 2 Euro Commemorative Placing two portraits on the surface of a coin is at best difficult. To make the two portraits reside in the same small space and present them attractively is almost impossible. In this case the portrait of Adolphe has a strange appearance. The nose is sharply pointed and the large blob directly below it - his mustache in reality, is really unattractive. They could have done better. vs You Poor Poor Thing Winner ikaros' Columbus Zoo elongated cent When I moved last summer, I dropped a handful of pennies including some elongated cents on the windowsill in my bedroom. Condensation and direct sun turned an otherwise lovely embossed line art of a lion into this corroded disaster.

Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Nature Aging Like Mayonnaise Winner ScottO's 1690 Tin Farthing A rare coin, made out of a material that does not survive the tests of time very well, huge chunks missing, and very few details remain. vs Victim of Circumstance Winner ikaros' 1986 US Cent Even Coinstar wouldn't take this one. It was found in the reject tray. Looks like even a little bite was taken out of it!

We are down to the final four! Vote early, and if you feel like voting often, you can always delete your vote and cast it again!

And the "winner" is: ikaros' Columbus Zoo elongated cent When I moved last summer, I dropped a handful of pennies including some elongated cents on the windowsill in my bedroom. Condensation and direct sun turned an otherwise lovely embossed line art of a lion into this corroded disaster.

And the "winner" is: Art's 2005 Luxembourg 2 Euro Commemorative Placing two portraits on the surface of a coin is at best difficult. To make the two portraits reside in the same small space and present them attractively is almost impossible. In this case the portrait of Adolphe has a strange appearance. The nose is sharply pointed and the large blob directly below it - his mustache in reality, is really unattractive. They could have done better.

And the "winner" is: ikaros' 1986 US Cent Even Coinstar wouldn't take this one. It was found in the reject tray. Looks like even a little bite was taken out of it!

And the "winner" is: ScottO's 1690 Tin Farthing A rare coin, made out of a material that does not survive the tests of time very well, huge chunks missing, and very few details remain.

Just a reminder, voting ends when I get home from work tonight -- if you haven't voted yet, please do!

Lucky Pierre coughed up another AtB -- the Perry Monument quarter for Ohio, which of course I am keeping every one I find. It still gives me that warm fuzzy of looking for it from the window of my grandparents' place on the lake; it was just visible from there (depending on the weather).

I really can't decide here. Year for year, I think the Manx pound has taken more damage -- if you multiply its age and its current level of damage by 13, you'll get a coin that's the same age, but I think there would be even less of it left. But man, that's one beaten-up farthing.

The elongated cent was the only entry in its category; I think I showed it in the first week and noted it was a bye through to the quarterfinals. That's how my other cent got through, too; the farthing had to earn its spot.

Well, we can't say this competition makes no cents at all.

Something tells me Scott's going through to the semifinals.

There were no more ties! Time for all the sectional winners to face off, on our way to 2014's Ugly Coin. It's time to bring back the early winners, that haven't been seen for a couple weeks. Voting is now open, please don't forget to bring valid ID, or a utility bill with your current address...

Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Nature Aging Like Mayonnaise 1970 and Before Winner ScottO's 1690 Tin Farthing A rare coin, made out of a material that does not survive the tests of time very well, huge chunks missing, and very few details remain. vs 1971 and After Winner ScottO's 1989 Isle of Man £1 Age is never kind on the Pound Coin, especially here where there are deep scratches all over the obverse from circulation.

Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Nature Victims of Circumstance 1970 and Before Winner Art's 1840 US Large Cent The blue background color that you can see at the edges of this coin is accurate. Coin is discolored and has many surface scratches and is quite porous probably from being buried in the ground for a considerable period of time. vs 1971 and After Winner ikaros' 1986 US Cent Even Coinstar wouldn't take this one. It was found in the reject tray. Looks like even a little bite was taken out of it!

Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1970 and Before Winner ikaros' 1825 UK Farthing Britannia is not on trial here. No, the obverse portrait is what moves this poor thing into contention. Even taking into account the then-current Neoclassical style in art and architecture, I question the wisdom of producing a portrait of the king that would genuinely look more appropriate surrounded by the legend "NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR". vs 1971 and After Winner Art's 2005 Luxembourg 2 Euro Commemorative Placing two portraits on the surface of a coin is at best difficult. To make the two portraits reside in the same small space and present them attractively is almost impossible. In this case the portrait of Adolphe has a strange appearance. The nose is sharply pointed and the large blob directly below it - his mustache in reality, is really unattractive. They could have done better.

Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design You Poor, Poor Thing 1970 and Before Winner ScottO's 1679 Maundy 4d Who knows what happened to this. Obverse is destroyed, lots of dents and a hole, hardly any detail left. vs 1971 and After Winner ikaros' Columbus Zoo elongated cent When I moved last summer, I dropped a handful of pennies including some elongated cents on the windowsill in my bedroom. Condensation and direct sun turned an otherwise lovely embossed line art of a lion into this corroded disaster.

The "winner" is: Art's 2005 Luxembourg 2 Euro Commemorative Placing two portraits on the surface of a coin is at best difficult. To make the two portraits reside in the same small space and present them attractively is almost impossible. In this case the portrait of Adolphe has a strange appearance. The nose is sharply pointed and the large blob directly below it - his mustache in reality, is really unattractive. They could have done better.

The "winner" is: ScottO's 1679 Maundy 4d Who knows what happened to this. Obverse is destroyed, lots of dents and a hole, hardly any detail left.

That would require rather a larger feeder, yeah.

Wish I could get birds that colorful to my feeders -- all I've seen so far are house sparrows, European swallows, and one skittish northern cardinal who bolts as soon as I reach for my camera. There's a woodpecker nearby, but I don't want to coax it over because I don't need that right outside my window when I'm trying to sleep I recently started a new set on my Flickr page for the birds visiting my feeders called Dinosaurs on my Windowsill -- I keep one feeder on the living room window, and one on a bedroom window, just a couple suet cake cages. So far I've got my best results keeping the window half shaded, and shooting through the blinds. Do birds seem different to you when you remember they're all that's left of the dinosaurs?

The food machine in the break area, which I have always referred to as the 'Wheel of Misfortune', is officially renamed 'Lucky Pierre'. Not only has it given me two proofs and a silver quarter in the last month and a half, but today my first 2014 -- the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains AtB quarter.