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Showing results for tags 'Ugly Coin Competition 2014'.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Nature Aging Like Mayonnaise 1970 and Before geordie582's ca. 150 BCE Celtic poitin Either was run over by a plough or the minter had a bad day! vs ikaros' 1916 UK Penny Not only worn, this poor penny seems to have caught the Andromeda Strain too, or maybe some sort of metal ebola.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Nature Aging Like Mayonnaise 1970 and Before ikaros' 1749 UK Halfpenny Poor George's portrait wasn't all that flattering in the first place; two hundred and fifty years of hard use haven't done him any favors. vs 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.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Nature Aging Like Mayonnaise 1970 and Before ScottO's 1635 Double Tournois Showing signs of a long time under ground, design looks faded. A slight bend and lots of green. vs ikaros' 1946 UK Brass 3d Short of being run over by a train, just about everything that could happen to a coin has happened to this poor thing. Heavy wear, corrosion, paint, what looks like burn marks, a gouge across the thrift plant on the obverse, and some indeterminate gunk.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1970 and Before 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 ScottO's 1830 Guernsey 1 Double Not really much design here.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1970 and Before ScottO's 1638 Sweden 1/4 ore Not the worst design in the world, I do like the crudeness of it, the issue here is that the coin was made by the casting technique, and has had a lot of extra metal on the design from where the metal has ran. vs ScottO's 1855 Prince Edward Island 1 Cent The entire design is lettering and the date, the only other thing is a small marking at the bottom on one side. And given the time frame, a rather boring coin given the designs of many countries around this time.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1970 and Before ScottO's 1866 US 3 Cents (nickel) Not a fan of the reverse design, the dinks and chips on the obverse do not help the coin either, but I just find the use of 3 I's and a wreath and nothing else rather boring vs ScottO's 1944 France 2 Franc liberation issue Compared to all other French coins, there is little in terms of design, the obverse is just FRANCE and a wreath.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1971 and After Art's 1981 UK Diana and Charles Crown A bad portrait. When found in pristine condition the coin is acceptably attractive but one an amount of use begins the portraits begin to take on far less attractive characteristics. The way the portraits are positioned is quite unattractive to start with. Don't like Charles looking into Diana's ear and all that. vs ikaros' 2009D US Nickel The US Mint, in their "wisdom", dispensed with the dignified if slightly dull Felix Schlag design and the really, really nice "peekaboo" obverse from the Westward Ho series, in order to give us Nancy Kulp as Thomas Jefferson. And of course, like all other current American coins, it has all the depth and sculpting of a washer.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1971 and After 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 ScottO's 1983 Tunisia 5 Millime Tunisian coins are usually full of design, however this one is struck on aluminium, lightly struck and there not much but the generic reverse design, and a tree on the obverse.
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Ugly By Nature Aging Like Mayonnaise 1970 and Before ikaros' 1853 US quarter, arrows & rays Not only is nearly all the detail wiped from this coin, the reeding is all worn flat. vs ScottO's 1917 Maundy 2d An average design coin, that was once mounted leaving an ugly raised line all along the obverse.
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Round One is in the books, and my condolences to all the winners! We've had some close ones, some blowouts, and a couple ties, but that's all in the past now as we move on to the next round... Round Two voting is now open!
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design You Poor Poor Thing 1970 and Before Art's 1828 US Large Cent This 1828 Large Cent is basically in good to very good condition except for the damage done by the counterstamping. The coin was counterstamped on the obverse but caused a flattening and obliteration of the lettering on the reverse. Probably caused by the "anvil" that the coin sat upon while being punched. Considerable force was used in the punches as you can see. They are quite deep and very well edged. Overall a nice example of the kinds of things that happened to these beautiful coins. I have been told that in the late 50's and early 60's when these coins were relatively cheap, so called collectors would damage the surfaces by carving an "X" across the face and across the "one cent" on the reverse. I have no way to ascertain the truth of this statement but hope that it is not true. I have seen many large and small cents with "x"s carved into them. vs ScottO's 1696 Shilling, Scottish arms at date A rare variety of a beautiful coin, turned into a love token and almost completely worn away, apart from the key part, and also holed.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Nature Aging Like Mayonnaise 1970 and Before geordie582's ca. 150 BCE Celtic poitin Either was run over by a plough or the minter had a bad day! vs ScottO's 1750 Denga Another great design where age has got the better of it.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1971 and After Art's 1981 UK Diana and Charles Crown A bad portrait. When found in pristine condition the coin is acceptably attractive but one an amount of use begins the portraits begin to take on far less attractive characteristics. The way the portraits are positioned is quite unattractive to start with. Don't like Charles looking into Diana's ear and all that. vs ikaros' 1986 Polish 20 Złotych Sometime around 1980, the engravers at the Polish mint threw up their hands and said, "Aw, the heck with it" and the dramatic designs of the 60s and 70s disappeared, to be replaced by boring large numbers. Either that, or they threw in their lot with Solidarity, got sacked, and were replaced by a Polish Communist Party committee with all the creative ability of a slightly demented rock.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1971 and After 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 ScottO's 1994 Cyprus 5 Cents Never been a fan of these designs, just seems so plain and little about the place, or much there to fill the space.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1971 and After Art's 1979S US Susan B Anthony Dollar This is a split decision coin. The obverse -- four thumbs down. The reverse -- four thumbs up. You have the combination of a hastily designed obverse and a re-used reverse (see Ike dollars) providing this overall less than attractive coin. SBA was not an attractive woman - physically - to start with. Then a far from flattering portrait was crammed into the face of a tiny coin in full profile vs a more attractive angle of view. It has been rumored that Frank Gasparro did not want to do this design and therefore did the job that we see. A gem proof coin with a solid cameo is actually quite pleasing to the eye. They are not very commonly seen. vs ScottO's 2004 Pakistan 1 Rupee Only thing going for it is the coin is struck in high relief, however the reverse just looks rushed and drawn quickly rather then neat and tidy.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1971 and After Art's 1972S US Eisenhower $1 Another split decision for me. While the obverse shows a rather stark and unflattering portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower - one of my favorite Generals and Presidents - the reverse shows the wonderful depiction of the Eagle Moon Landing with Earth in the background. Designed by Frank Gasparro, as was the SBA dollar, the reverse of this coin is one of my favorites in modern US coinage. The obverse could have been so much better. vs ikaros' 2007P US Wyoming 25c There are a multitude of sins here. First of course is the common obverse with all the depth and character of a washer -- Washington's wig should be sculpted, not grooved! -- just like all other modern circulating issues in the US. In comparison, though, the reverse makes a washer look interesting. A cowboy on a bucking bronco doesn't make me think of Wyoming; there are too many other states with a cowboy tradition. And a silhouette of a cowboy on a bucking bronco alongside the state nickname only suggests to me that this design was finalized when someone realized the deadline to get it to the Mint was later that same day.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design You Poor Poor Thing 1970 and Before Art's 1851 US Large Cent This is a nice example of a US Large cent put to a practical use early in its life. The coin was drilled - most likely punched vs. rotating drill blade - for use as a spacer/washer. This was not an uncommon practice in times when hardware was not readily available and may have cost more than the value of the coin used in its place. From the wear on the reverse it is clear that some usage occurred but not to the point of obliterating the design. Also the usage left the obverse untouched while the reverse was worn unevenly. vs ScottO's 1711 England 6d Not a fan of Anne’s portrait, the coin is worn, stained and has a hole drilled through her head.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design You Poor Poor Thing 1970 and Before ikaros' 1964D US "Peace" dollar fantasy issue (overstruck Peace dollar, unk date) While I love the reverse of this coin, I have never liked the obverse, Liberty looks not only startled, but the victim of a bad hair day. A coin should never be able to legitimately have the caption, "Eeek! A mouse!" And yet, that's the only way I've ever been able to see this series. vs ScottO's 1551 Type 6B London 6d Both age and clipping has destroyed this once beautiful and scarce coin, the king looks like a ghostly figure on the obverse.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design You Poor Poor Thing 1970 and Before ikaros' 1859 Canada 1 cent Holed coins bother me, at least those holed in a way to be a pendant. I can understand one holed in a manner to be used as a button or something; a large copper cent or half-cent was probably going to be more durable than a wood or shell button. This poor thing not only has a hole, it's got about 20° die rotation. vs ScottO's ca. 1649 England half groat A boring design at the best of times, however holed and clipped with wear, it looks worse
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Note: thedeadpoint's coin drew a bye for this round, and will automatically advance to Round 3. Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Nature Aging Like Mayonnaise 1970 and Before thedeadpoint's 1941 US Half Dollar Until recently, my oldest proof. The first "big" coin I added to my collection about half a lifetime ago when I was a youngster. Why is it in this contest? Hard to see in this pic but that eagle has some unsightly toning in an area "where the sun don't shine."
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1971 and After ikaros' 2009D US Nickel The US Mint, in their "wisdom", dispensed with the dignified if slightly dull Felix Schlag design and the really, really nice "peekaboo" obverse from the Westward Ho series, in order to give us Nancy Kulp as Thomas Jefferson. And of course, like all other current American coins, it has all the depth and sculpting of a washer. vs ScottO's 1985 Spain 25 Pesetas Reverse is just boring, a crown the denomination and the date in a star, and that is it, no coat of arms, or extra details, just a bit bland.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1971 and After Art's 1977 UK Silver Jubilee Crown I just cannot warm to the design of this coin. The reverse is particularly unattractive to me. Way too busy. The obverse looks like someone was playing with photoshop and overlayed the horse and rider on top of a completed edge ring design but didn't want to shrink the design to fit within the circle. vs ScottO's 1977 Hungary 2 Forint Not a bad design, but the obverse design in its position just looks odd, would look better more central instead of pushed down.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1970 and Before ikaros' 1963 Fiji Penny It's actually kind of hard to say this has poor design, since it's hard to say it has any design at all. Outside of a standardized crown, and denticles around the outer and inner rims, it's all text. I realize a holed coin presents certain design challenges -- and I happen to think changing our penny and nickel to having holes might be a solution to their cost-to-produce problem -- but it's one that was met here by simply not bothering. If the design of this coin says anything, it's "Holy Toledo, this is due tonight? vs ScottO's 1830 Guernsey 1 Double Not really much design here.
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1970 and Before ikaros' 1969 Poland 10 złotych, 25th anniversary of the Polish Communist Party I take it as an article of faith that Polish coinage of the 1960s and 1970s have probably the best design work of the Cold War era. And the engravers at the Polish mint, despite state control of pretty much everything, were able to get away with many issues on themes that would have been impossible anywhere else in the Warsaw Pact. Which might actually explain this odd design "commemorating" (if that's the right word) the 25th anniversary of the then-ruling Polish Communist Party. What you have is a half-dollar sized coin with a nickel's worth of design: if you place a nickel over the design, it looks like a completely blank planchet, other than a bit of the denomination on the reverse. What this coin really represents -- and I hope this was the designer's thinking regarding the subject -- is a terrific waste of space. vs ScottO's 1866 US 3 Cents (nickel) Not a fan of the reverse design, the dinks and chips on the obverse do not help the coin either, but I just find the use of 3 I's and a wreath and nothing else rather boring
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Ugly Coin Competition 2014 Ugly By Design I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Engraved That Way 1970 and Before 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 ScottO's 1844 Prince Edward Island 1 Cent The entire design is lettering and the date, the only other thing is a small marking at the bottom on one side. And given the time frame, a rather boring coin given the designs of many countries around this time.
