Dollar Coins A Turn-Off

I'm no fan of the date/MM on the edge either. There are already too many other things cluttering the design of every coin already -- "Liberty", "E Pluribus Unum", "In God We Trust" -- none of them provide the kind of identification that belongs on the face. The annual design identifies the year, but that's it.

Personally, I like the annual designs. What I don't like is how they tone so quickly. They did a good thing by choosing a composition to distinguish from the clad coins (like they should have done with the SBA), but they get so ugly so fast.

The mint can only produce what Congress authorizes them to produce and some design committee approves.

Well than Congress should be held accountable . Modern Dollars are just another way for the mint to profit from new collectors . You don't even see any Presidential dollar coins in circulation and commerce transactions .

I only collect from circulation and proof sets ( no mint sets) and I put my coins in Dansco albums.

The dollar coin not circulating means I only ever see them in proof sets.

The dollar coin having edge lettering means I do not need to collect by date and mint mark (cannot differentiate them in the album).

Combine those two things and you now know why I only have a date set album being filled with proofs.

Exactly. Here in Australia, we've had only $1 coins since 1984 (and $2 since 1988). Small denomination notes were wearing out too quickly and had to be removed from circulation, so the switch to coins happened.

No real dramas except that the $1 coin is larger than the $2 coin, which is a bit daft IMHO.

Most younger people would not even recognize the $1 & $2 notes if they saw them.

I agree the presidential and SAC tokens, er, coins, are a flawed design. Like USSID18 (nice handle, by the way), I think most of the coins coming out of the mint are not inspiring. The State and ATB Quarters are really the only exception, IMO. But other countries' mints are really doing the the same now too. A lot just pump out schlock.

I thought the Presidential dollars were uninspiring, not sad they are done. I like the Native American dollars better, especially the reverse change every year (one per year is enough). Because of some idiot's stupid decision to put the date and mintmark on the edge, it is the only way to tell which year it is. I bought the coin and currency set last year. The literature says it's minted in San Francisco with an 'S' mintmark. Unless I destroy the packaging, I will never know for sure. I cannot see the edge of the coin through the packaging no matter which angle I try. Edge lettering is a total failure.

I am in total agreement. Compare our old designs to the majority-junk designs they make nowadays and its not hard to see why the older series are so popular with collectors. There is so little talent in designs nowadays when compared to the old masters, and it should not be this way.