When did the Mint go to the curent flat relief on circulating coins?

[TJ'S Coins]

Is it my imagination or does pre-1964 circulating silver coinage as a whole enjoy higher relief than their clad counterparts today? Wheat cents have a similar difference from the 1930's, for instance to post-1982 composition.

 

If so, is this the result of the difference in metal from primarily a silver based planchet to the modern clad?

 

Is this the result of computer assisted die engraving that allows for lower relief?

 

Are there other factors?

 

Which do you prefer and why?

[WoodenJefferson]

Speaking of Business Strike coinage only (proof coinage has increased reliefs through better technology and skills)

 

When I was collecting Kennedy half dollars, the 64's had great detail, the 65's thru 1970 also had pretty good detail because of the silver content was still at 40%. It was from the beginings of the clad composition from 1971 onward where the quality quickly deteriated. Some of the early 80's were just like blobs on the strikes with hardly any detail at all in the devices. For 20 years Kennedy halves languished with moderate strikes. Finally in 1991 JFK and the Great Seal had a makeover and ever since then the coins have had a higher relief.

 

Clad coinage has definetly been the vain of older collectors...it just does not have the pizzaz silver can be pressed into.

 

Jefferson nickels have enjoyed nice reliefs from day one...with only major problems encountering the steps on Monticello.

 

I do not even want to talk about the cent since 82...they just as well be tokens. They can be disolved with grape fruit juice!

 

It has been a combination of moves the Mint has made through out the years to make minting coinage affordable...to me, the turn was in 1964 and has continued to be whittled down to this very day.

[cladking]

Relief has been lowered in a long series of steps over the decades. There are changes almost every year in modern times and most involve a lowering of the relief. Different denominations have been affected in different years but 1965 does not particularly stand out. Perhaps 1974 does.

 

Coins are struck on high speed presses and there just isn't time for metal to flow into deep recesses in the dies.

 

The frequent design changes result in some interesting mules when the obverse die gets swapped out at the beginning of the year for the new date but the reverse die is overlooked.

[just-john]

The US Mint went from making a nations currency with pride and craftmenship to what we have today.They are really in the coin selling market with the modern limited *spoon*.The new Washington dollar is a prime example.This coin sells for $1.00 cost about the same a nickel.They are in the profit making mode now 300 million coins made in what maybe 1 week.When they stop making a good profit is when we will be told we nolonger need coins

[RWB]

According to comments by former Denver Mint employee Michael Lantz at the Denver ANA, the silver alloy was much easier to stamp than the clad Cu/Ni. The mints had a great deal of trouble with getting good strikes and maintaining good die life. As others mentioned, the "cartoonization" of existing coin designs has been underway from decades. The Washington Quarter is an excellent example. The problem is not limited to US coins - the European Union has done the same thing and many of the circulating coins are nothing but outlines - even the French gave in.

[James_OldeTowne]

By no means is it a new problem. Barber coinage was designed in flat relief compared to Seated Liberty coin, for example. If memory serves correctly, even Draped Bust large-cents were designed with lower-relief considerations in mind.

[TJ'S Coins]

Thanks for all of the comments and insights.

 

Clad coinage has a longer life than silver but the lower relief that is more common over the years is disappointing.

 

Modern coin design appears to be the result of adapting pictures to coinage rather than an artist sculpting and then rendering a design. The Westward Expansion "Ocean in View" nickel is one example. The Mint settled with a photographer over the use of his picture that became the design.

 

Theodore Roosevelt was an idealist who wanted coinage to reflect America as fledgling world power. Perhaps we are realists today making coins in vast quantity as economically as possible; a world power pumping out as much coinage as our economy will allow.

 

Some may even argue that these are the good old days with a wider variety of circulating designs and changes with the state quarters, nickels and new presidential dollar coins than at any time in our history. Maybe I'm just stuck in the past. I want circulating coinage to be artistically beautiful as well as the best we have to offer as a nation.

 

Am I one of the few? Am I a numismatic dinosaur?

[cladking]

...Maybe I'm just stuck in the past. I want circulating coinage to be artistically beautiful as well as the best we have to offer as a nation.

 

Am I one of the few? Am I a numismatic dinosaur?

 

 

The mint is bogged down producing billions of pennies every year. If this wasteful denomination were eliminated perhaps they could slow down the presses a little and bring up the designs.

 

Of course we need new designs to bring up as well.

[Zoins]

...Maybe I'm just stuck in the past. I want circulating coinage to be artistically beautiful as well as the best we have to offer as a nation.

 

Am I one of the few? Am I a numismatic dinosaur?

The mint is bogged down producing billions of pennies every year. If this wasteful denomination were eliminated perhaps they could slow down the presses a little and bring up the designs.

 

Of course we need new designs to bring up as well.

Don't forget the half dollars which aren't even circulated

[just-john]

I still feel they went from their main job on making coins for circulation to making coins to

turn a profit.Do we really need 50 new quarters for circulation and 40 something new dollar coins??