I consider myself a "modern" coin collector for the most part.

As many have noted before me, the current offering by the US mint is beyond the pocketbooks of your average joe. That in and of itself is not what disturbs me the most.

What really disturbs me is the lack of artistry, craftmanship and beauty that defined so many of the coins from the early part of the 20th century.

The presidential dollars are downright ugly. They have almost no relief, the designs are tired and dull, the Business Strikes are ruined by the minting process with gouges, scratches ad nauseum.

The newest quarter is the worst coin ever minted by the US Government. I can say this after looking at over 4000 of them over the last few days and finding 95% of them struck through grease, and the remaining 5% gouged and scratched. If that weren't enough the design would be the ugliest coin even if the minting process was perfect.

Fortunately my passion is typeset so I will only need one of these aweful coins to fill out my collection - but I may give up on coins from this century all together if the mint cointinues down this path. After all, who wants a collectoin of ugly, banged up coins?