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Replies: 30 / Views: 3,991 |
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Moderator
 United States
189340 Posts |
Quote: Just barely for the dime. What is your point? I am just barely older than my younger brother, but he is still younger. Quote: Had wheats been the end of the Lincoln Cent I'm sure many people would consider that classic If only that had been true, then it would have set a good precedent for replacing people on the obverse of our coinage. I am sure all of our denominations would have seen change in the last fifty years, and the Classic versus Modern conversation would be decidedly different. Ah, if only... 
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Quote: What is your point? I am just barely older than my younger brother, but he is still younger. True. My point was just that its not like there was some huge gap where it came late to the party making it a shoe in to be a modern. With the exception of the Lincoln it was also cut off long before any other design change and even before they switched from silver to clad. I do concede the fact that it would likely be a moot point had Kennedy not been killed since it would likely still be around. With that said though it has been 50 years since it was made for a country thats not even 250 years old. It didnt run long enough for me to say a 1945 Merc is a classic but a 1948 Franklin isn't.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1300 Posts |
Bring back the IKES big bold and possibly end all ninja stalking!!
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Moderator
 United States
189340 Posts |
Quote: Bring back the IKES big bold and possibly end all ninja stalking!!  Quote: True. My point was just that its not like there was some huge gap where it came late to the party making it a shoe in to be a modern. But a modern, it still is. The introduction date and the subject (dead people) make it so. The Eisenhower dollar is a modern, and it has not been minted for 35 years.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
998 Posts |
Had Kennedy not been assassinated not only would the Franklin halves continued for quite some time but it is quite possible that their continued use would have eliminated the "need" for the Eisenhower dollar and subsequent failed SBA and golden dollars. Playing the "what if" game: If Kennedy was not assassinated I think that Ike might have replaced Franklin on the Half Dollar. By 1970 it would have been 22 years and it still would have required legislative approval but that may not have been too difficult. With halves in circulation a dollar coin may not have been as important as it was deemed at the time and the return of the large dollar may have been delayed or never occurred. Instead of the smaller sized SBA of the late 70's they may have reduced the size of the Half instead, even maybe the quarter may have been reduced in size in tandem. Of course this could all have taken a completely different tack had Kennedy lived...
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Moderator
 United States
189340 Posts |
Interesting speculation. Interesting to think that I would have never known what I was missing. 
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3755 Posts |
Quote: But a modern, it still is. The introduction date and the subject (dead people) make it so. That is only if you accept the dead people/Liberty argument as iron clad and ultra definitive. I think the Franklin has enough going for it to be classic to make it a gray area coin and therefor the exception to that "rule". And as brought up by basebal, the LWC has a solid argument for being labeled classic. A 1958 anything else (car, stereo, table, toy etc etc etc) is considered a classic. That being the last year of the LWC, why not it as well? As mentioned in another thread, many people cut off at 1960 when roll hunting Jeffersons. The common thought being that is the non silver dividing line between "classic Jeffs" and "modern Jeffs". If it were not for the quarter and dime being silver until 64, I bet the same would hold true for them as well. I think classic and modern have a good bit more to do with than just give me Liberty or give me dead Presidents.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4593 Posts |
I gave my Sister a present Sunday: a birth year proof set. And her observation was "I never realized it would be a Franklin half, but of course, Kennedy hadn't been assassinated yet".
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3486 Posts |
Argh. I entered this debate a while back with the Lincoln Cents. Reverse changed more than 50 years ago. Obverse recut several times since then. Compare 1968 to 1969 examples. And yet, it is considered a modern coin. Now, the Franklin. Not made in 50 years, yet considered modern. It is a judgement call. I did not make the call. What does it matter, really?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
998 Posts |
Whether a coin is "modern", "classic", "ancient" whatever is entirely up to the describer. Some people will agree and others will not. My definition is:
If it is younger than me it is "Modern". If it is older than me and younger than my Grandpa it is "Classic". If it is older than my Grandpa it is "Antique". If it is older than the Pilgrims it is "Ancient".
I have a complete circulation set of my Modern coins for the USA and Canada. I am working on completing the same for my Classic Coins (minus gold, I ain't rich) and am about 95% done for Canadians and 80% for USA. I have a few Antiques, mostly Canadian large cents, but I don't care about Ancients.
If your definition varies more power to ya!
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Valued Member
United States
223 Posts |
I've picked up 3 Franklins in circulation in the last 3-4 months.
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Moderator
 United States
189340 Posts |
Keep in mind, we are discussing this definition in the context of how the CCF forums are divided the way they are.  . Modern is not necessarily current, but where we drew the line to balance the posts between the two forums. If the modern posts were a lot more popular, the line may have been set at a hard date, like 1965. If the classic posts were a lot more popular, the line may have been set between the 19th and 20th centuries. It is not perfect, but it works for us. Things do change as activity picks up and we want to keep forums from being too busy, like moving all Variety and Error posts into sub-forums. Or like when we recently added Precious Metal and Coin Roll Hunting forums. Canadian NCLT is relatively new as well. Who knows, if we finally go back to Liberty in a few years, we may have to add an Ultra Modern forum to keep the dead presidents in their place. 
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8518 Posts |
Quote: Hmmmm. Eisenhower ATBs. THAT would be wicked cool. Ohhhh that would've been a great size for the ATB's !
Oregon coin geek.....*** GO BEAVS ! ! ! ***
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Valued Member
United States
223 Posts |
Noooooooo! The Ike reverse is one of my favorites. To ATB them up would ruin their aesthetic beauty.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8137 Posts |
I would have to disagree.
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Replies: 30 / Views: 3,991 |