olympicsos

At the same time ATB Quarters, Presidential Dollars and other modern circulating series failed to take off the way state quarters did. Even now state quarters aren’t as popular as they were from 1999 to about 2005. I occasionally get uncirculated state quarters in change, suggesting some holders of bags or rolls are dumping them in circulation.

Many bought by market makers because we were a more hobby dependent society before the advent of smartphones and even video games.

How many low budget collectors really prefer moderns?

I remember when the 2004 proof set was very expensive and then the value collapsed. Still we are seeing 1950s mintage levels with room for even less to be made. At what point will the US Mint simply discontinue or combine the annual core products?

I think the Morgan and Peace will last a while. They’re two very popular silver dollar series. If anything I think the other modern series will take a nosedive in popularity. We’re already seeing this with proof and mint sets and with each succeeding quarter program.

Wasn’t the US Mint going to only go with the silver proof set at some point? I heard talk of that.

The interesting part is that bullion and numismatic items aren’t even the most profitable part of the US Mint’s business. Speaking of profit centers.

Paper currency and quarters. Maybe the US Mint should trademark the name “Quarter Factory”.

Other currencies have coins worth less than one American cent and they’re used regularly.

Whether that’s politically feasible is another discussion. I’ll also point out at that point if you eliminate cents and nickels and just have the dime and the Quarter, the US Mint would be more dependent on bullion and collector products. I would not eliminate the cent entirely though. One idea I’ve had kicking around is to make a collector only large cent using the 1907 unused Saint Gaudens cent design (In God We Trust and E Pluribus Unum would be on the edge). At least you could succeed in making Saint Gaudens’ designs available to those who don’t collect gold.

Yes I should’ve mentioned the first time. But with the decline of cash use, I’m not surprised. I’d even point out that with the push for more electric vehicles, we would likely have to change the composition of all our coins made mostly of copper at some point as copper would become more expensive.

In 2019 the GAO found that replacing dollar bills with dollar coins would be more costly to the government. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-19-300

But I will say the one good gold coin design that was completely ruined for no reason was the Indian head $10. It’s a very simple clean design that has lots of potential. The headdress just kills what is otherwise a beautiful design. Not only that, that design would have a lot of political controversy today. I would love to see a Saint Gaudens Liberty Head $10 with no headdress.

The obverse bust is very attractive. The obverse carries the coins with them. Yes the reverse is kind of blah, but I’d say that’s a positive. It’s not like the capped bust or seated Liberty was any better. It makes it the perfect classic design they could’ve had as the obverse on the ASE and AGE. Pairing Weinman with a new design and pairing St. Gaudens with a new design somehow ruins the ASE and AGE. The draped bust had a reverse that’s kind of blah and didn’t have inscriptions like In God We Trust that are mandated today which makes it the perfect classical liberty to co-opt for a modern bullion coin as it’s a beautiful rendition of Liberty that can be improved upon. Especially with the primitive technology the draped bust coins were made to begin with.

But I will also say that in terms of the pre-Renaissance coinage designs, the Draped Bust is the most artistic of all of them.

Not since 1980

Barber gets a lot of hate for no reason IMO. Barber was right about the technical difficulties. Even though we have the technology then, I think Barber would've done a better job than some of the mint staff out there now.

Still isn't something the artist would likely support. On a side note I also wonder how many of the Saint Gaudens original plasters, hubs, dies etc. for the high relief coins were destroyed in 1910? Which assets did they use to create the 2009 UHR and the "refreshed" obverse on the 2021 and later AGE?

Because lets face it, Saint Gaudens designs weren't designed to be made as a mirror finish proof. They look good in a satin finish or regular uncirculated finish. The Saint Gaudens obverse is used on the AGE's and something is off about the mirror finish proof with them. But the Liberty Head Double Eagle looks nice in mirror finish proof and would probably be a better fit for the low relief striking common today.

That right there is the ONLY Walking Liberty Half Dollar you'll find with 100% complete details. Too bad they didn't have a 30.6mm version in silver.

I'd say the Liberty Head $20 is the best Longacre Design IMO. Much better than the Indian Head Cent. But the Saints are still a very attractive design.

This is a big loss for the hobby. My condolences.

The time to buy Saints was before the pandemic.

The rivalry was definitely overstated! I think Barber gets a bad rap for no good reason.

Since this is related to the Saint Gaudens series in some capacity, question for @RWB, is there any background on the 1906 Barber $20 pattern. I've read that Barber designed the obverse but Morgan designed the reverse, I kind of find it interesting since the liberty eagle with sword seems to be taken from an 1891 pattern piece which Barber designed and was rejected.