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I was not going to buy one of these ... but dam its a NICE DESIGN

Started by jgrinz,

31 posts in this topic

Ted K-migration

Ted K-migration

Posted
Posted
I think I will get the bronze one.

 

Got my bronze one a couple days ago and despite the fact I meant to order the Jefferson's Lib, I'm really liking the design of the coin in hand. Certainly in contrast with how the Presidential Dollars, which imo have been really ugly except for Van Buren for some reason, they're really nice. I'm sure it'd look even better in gold, but with spot gold being where it is, those are a bit out of my price range for the moment. Assuming I can get a hold of a couple goose neck lamps for my light tent, something I seem to be having zero luck with, I'll try to get some decent photos of the bronze I have if someone else doesn't beat me to the punch.

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Hoot

Hoot

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Posted
Her face looks funny.

 

In perfect keeping with Reich's original design. Many of Reich's capped bust portraits had odd faces, and various other oddities in Liberty's profile.

 

As for the gold coin, it's a pretty piece and true to what the Mint intended for the series. Their rendition of Jefferson's Liberty (from the Scot design of the half cent) and this present piece ("Jackson's Liberty") are among the better efforts of the modern U.S. Mint in reproducing classic U.S. coinage designs. Additionally, the reverse of Jackson atop a horse in military dress is quite close to designs from a couple of CW tokens.

 

Congrats on you purchase.

 

Hoot

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coinman1794

coinman1794

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Posted
Her face looks funny.

 

In perfect keeping with Reich's original design. Many of Reich's capped bust portraits had odd faces, and various other oddities in Liberty's profile.

 

 

Actually, the design is a pathetic imitation of Reich's work, in my opinion. There were oddities, to be sure, but she always looked human.

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Conder101

Conder101

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Many artists just can't do human faces well and apparently this is one of them. Both Liberty and Jackson's faces have come out rather badly. You would think though that they would recognize that they messed it up and would have gotten a different artist to do the model before it got this far. As Coinman said, Reich's Libertys may have been ugly at times but they always looked human. A good artist could also have provided detailed hair like that but still managed to give it a "softness" rather than the harsh "carved" appearance her hair has.

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BillJones

BillJones

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The mint was reproducing the artwork that appeared probably on the Bust half dollars of the 1830s. Some of the Ms. Liberties that appeared on those coins were among the ugliest coins of the period. William Kneass was probably doing the artwork, and he has NOT gone down in history as one of America’s greatest artists. It illustrates the split noted by Teddy Roosevelt and Augustus St. Gaudens that there were artists and there were “craftsmen,” like Charles Barber, who made dies to strike coins.

 

I guess you could blame the modern artists at the mint for the work you see here, but the original model they were trying to duplicate did not lend itself to outstanding esthetics

 

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Hoot

Hoot

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I'll just have to disagree that Reich's designs looked more human. They were in keeping with the neoclassical influences that made him the artist he was, but I've seen few people in my life with such apperances. Many of the profiles were very badly rendered, having odd lips, un-human facial profiles, and strange bosoms. So, I just look at the modern piece as being in stride with all the rest, and there were myriad variations.

 

Personally, I think that Robert Scot was largely in charge of the variations we see from 1817 through 1834, and that Kneass was responsible for those thereafter, particularly those that looked more "youthful." They were all ugly and oddly beautiful at the same time. Perhaps we can say the same for the modern rendition - it's a matter of perspective, I suppose.

 

As an aside, what makes the capped bust coinage beautiful (to me) nowadays is its relevance in antiquity and the individual charm that attends each piece, particularly those with crusty and "original" toning. Those pieces posses an artistic quality that time, more than original art work, has given them.

 

Hoot

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coinman1794

coinman1794

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Robert Scott had no influence on the modern version, however. The lips are pretty typical (though somewhat exagerated) of the original design but Liberty has an impressive amount of eyeball-side showing, and the end result is that she looks like a duck.

 

1829o50-1.jpg

 

 

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Hoot

Hoot

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I would say that the coin you show is very appealing - one of the prettier varieties - but the lips are just as unnatural as those of the modern "duck." Lips on Liberty have always been tough to master. The jaw line of the original variety that you show is a tad bit more delicate and the cheeks are less full; the head is tilted slightly more aback. However, the hair is nearly identical (save the natural wear of the original coin) and the bosoms are as unequal. Naturally, the modern piece does not have the charm that your coin has but it can be appealing in its own right.

 

I've held the modern piece in-hand, and while the photos of this thread's original post are good, the obverse devices appear exaggerated from what is witness in-hand, particularly with the matte finish variety. Proof coinage compared to circulation strikes is like apples and oranges anyway, but proves a poor comparison photographically.

 

The Mint is definitely experimenting a bit with the first spouse coins that depict classic designs. These are not like the gold buffalos where the Mint had the benefit of the original plasters to work from. My understanding of the process is that they are combining laser tracings of the original coins with both artistic variations and modern manufacturing concerns in order to arrive at a final effigy. Frankly, I don't think they're doing so badly, but any alteration of classic designs will not fully satisfy the heart of a classic U.S. coin aficionado. There are many subtle differences that end up in the final rendition of the modern copies of classic designs, but so be it, and the coins have to stand on their own. If we consider the wild variation of the two series copied to date - early draped bust half cents and Reich's draped bust coinage - I don't think we have much cause for concern over adding variation to the mix. It's a big shrug if you ask me.

 

Hoot

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Hoot

Hoot

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I said the lips are typical and that the eye makes her look like a duck...

 

And so it's true. No big deal any way you look at it! :juggle:

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realone

realone

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The chest looks like the head of a whale, or a hot dog bun without the hot dog. And that is besides the terrible profile and eyes. Hard to look at imo.

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prudden

prudden

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Posted

I think the reason the lips looks so weird is because they are being doubled by the mirroring effect of the fields. I could be wrong,but that's my take. A different shooting angle might "fix" it.

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physics-fan3.14

physics-fan3.14

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Man, it is GREAT to see Hoot posting and being feisty, isn't it???????

 

:golfclap::banana:

 

 

If you look at the time stamp, you'll notice Hoot's post was a full year ago ;)

 

Still nice to see him though.

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