Might want to stock up on popcorn, I know there are probably some octogenarians around here who are cozying up to him.
A gold coin that's colored pink and that looks like it was designed by Leni Riefenstahl. A WW1 commemorative with B-movie actor Rondo Hatton (apparently) staring at the words In God We Trust 2mm in front of his disfigured nose, and that has barbed wire front and back - we got it the first time. A commemorative "Life" coin that is the first of a set of three celebrating the Declaration of Independence, except that the "life" coin already has "liberty" on it, now doesn't it? And today, a press release of a medal celebrating the bicentennial of the founding of the Army, which is a bicentennial that happened 43 years ago!
Meanwhile, the national parks quarters continue to come out with designs that are either cluttered, out of proportion or dull. Fire Ryder, fire the designers and hire some medallists from Europe or Australia who know what they're doing!
The platinum designs were selected long before David Ryder took office in April of this year (there was no official Director of the Mint for seven years prior to his appointment -- Richard A. Peterson was the Acting Director).
Coin designs are selected from numerous candidates by a committee. I doubt senior Mint management, Ryder or otherwise, has anything to do with the specific selections. General direction, maybe, but many of the design candidates have the same kind of flaws we're discussing.
Quote: Coin designs are selected from numerous candidates by a committee. I doubt senior Mint management, Ryder or otherwise, has anything to do with the specific selections. General direction, maybe, but many of the design candidates have the same kind of flaws we're discussing.
True, and my question was rhetorical, I know he has a 5-year term. But the medals and non-circulating commemoratives can only serve as collectibles, and they're getting increasingly ugly and awkward looking.
Quote: But the medals and non-circulating commemoratives can only serve as collectibles, and they're getting increasingly ugly and awkward looking.
You're entitled to your opinion, and for the most part, I will agree with you. You said "fire the designers" and cite the pink gold coin as a bad example. The designs for that coin were solicited from the public.
If you don't like the product, don't buy it. And next time a design competition rolls around, maybe submit your own or encourage others to contribute as well. But as you can tell from the 2020/2021 ATB Quarter threads here, we all have different opinions on what we like.
Quote: (Incidentally, is it true that the Kisatchie quarter is the first US coin type to finally feature a turkey?)
Just checked on Numista, and it appears to be the second, if only by two years - the 2013 Native American dollar featured the totem animals of the Delaware tribe, one of which was a turkey.
Some previous Classic Silver Commemorative were nothing more than ways to double or triple your money by being the only distributor of the issue.
The list goes on and on. Yet in every case their were also collectors who became enamored of those designs.
Those folks who present their love for issues they like, and why they like them are always interesting to me. Regardless of my opinion, which can change.
Quote: If you don't like the product, don't buy it. And next time a design competition rolls around, maybe submit your own or encourage others to contribute as well. But as you can tell from the 2020/2021 ATB Quarter threads here, we all have different opinions on what we like.
There's no reason to bash people at the Mint for designs you don't like. If you don't like them, don't collect them. Enough said. I for one like many of the modern designs and as such I collect those coins. That's one of the great things about numismatics: there's so many coins that appeal to so many different people for different reasons.
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Posted 06/14/2018 12:31 pm
There's no reason to bash people at the Mint for designs you don't like. If you don't like them, don't collect them. Enough said. 
I for one like many of the modern designs and as such I collect those coins. That's one of the great things about numismatics: there's so many coins that appeal to so many different people for different reasons.
