A new publication by ANR and a presidential numismatic efficacy article

[Hoot]

I just stopped at home for lunch and found in the mail a new pub from American Numismatic Rarities entitled The Numismatic Sun. I've been awaiting this publication and it is very nice. It's a bit of an advertisement for ANR but it also has some great articles in it.

 

The featured article is United States Presidents and Numismatics. It rates the presidents from Cleveland (beginning 1893) to Junior Bush in terms of their numismatic contribution. Very interesting.

 

What presidents do you think deserve the numismatic "medal of honor?"

 

Hoot

[TomB]

Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt.

[Bruceswar]

What about Ike?

[GDJMSP]

Washington - for suggesting that the people of the US would rather see Liberty on their coins than his own image.

 

T. Roosevelt - for the great designs he pushed for.

[Android]

T. Roosevelt...by FAR the biggest contributor.

[BillJones]

The top:

 

Theodore Roosevlt (1901 - 8) took a huge personal interest in improving the designs of our coinage. He started a movement that ended with the Peace Dollar in 1921.

 

George Washington (1789 - 1797) - He was very supportive of the first mint and took an active interest in it.

 

Thomas Jefferson (1801 - 9) - propsed the decimal system, also took a strong interest in the first mint.

 

Andrew Jackson (1829 - 37 - Modernized the mint system with a new Philadelphia mint and supported the branch mint system. Had the weights reduced for U.S. gold coins so that they were made in quantitty and were available to circulate.

 

 

The Bottom:

 

Herbert Hoover (1929 - 33)- Stopped the minting of all commemorative coinage - He was very anti-collector. He believed that the mint should only make coins for circulation and should not waste its time on striking collectors' items.

 

Lyndon Johnson (1963 - 9)- Signed on to the very negative attitudes that prevailed toward collectors during the coin shortage of 1964 - 5.

 

Mixed bag

 

Franklin Roosevelt (1933 - 45) - He gets credit for starting up the commemorative coin program again after Hoover nixed it and also the Proof set program. He gets negative reviews for the gold surrender order and the massive melting of many, many U.S. gold coins.

 

 

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

I'm with Android - I believe that, from a presidential perspective, Teddy R. has had the most positive influence on the design of our coinage since we first began to mint them.