Viewpoint by David Allen Hines - Numismatic News

advocating a circulating presidential commemorative dollar program. Now with it actually realized, my feelings are more mixed and muted.

The design of the coins so far is disappointingly token-like. After the real promise shown by the various depictions of Thomas Jefferson on the nickel over the past few years, most, particularly the 2005 five-cent coin, with the unique close-up of Jefferson’s face flowing from the edge of the coin and handwritten “Liberty,” the Presidential dollars so far have returned to the unimaginative centered portrait with standard typeface inscriptions. The reverse also disappoints. The view of the Statue of Liberty is nice, but the “$1″ and the interior circle around the inscription makes the coin look like a cheap token.

Moving the date and mottos to the edge of the coin was innovative, but ill-considered. The date missing from the design contributes to the coin looking like a token. In fact, twice recently, when I presented the coin for payment to cashiers not familiar with the new design, they said it could not be a real dollar coin because there was no date! And putting “In God We Trust” on the edge of the coin has needlessly engendered political complaints. In retrospect, perhaps only putting “E Pluribus Unum” on the edge may have been a better move.

Logo design, in today’s world, can prove to be an important factor for the success of a business or organization. Everyday we come across plenty of different types of logos. Some of them are quite popular like the ones of Coca Cola, Nike etc. These logos are, in fact, so popular that the company and its products cannot even be visualized without their logo. Then there are some logos that might not be quite popular but definitely creates a long-lasting impression on the viewer. And then there are probably plenty of more logos which we overlook and forget. Whatever the case is, the bottom-line is almost every company, product, website or service today uses some sort of logo, designed to target specific audience or create an impact.

But we hardly know how the concept of logo came into being. We hardly try to find out where this concept was first started or who masterminded the design of the first ever logo. Well, there are some pretty interesting facts about the origin and history of logo design. (more…)

United States Mint Director and Governor Celebrate the “Equality State” Quarter

The public and the news media are invited to participate in the official launch ceremony for the “Equality State” commemorative quarter at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 14. Join United States Mint Director Ed Moy and Governor Dave Freudenthal as they celebrate the release of the Wyoming quarter, the 44th coin in the United States Mint’s phenomenal 50 State Quarters® Program. The Wyoming quarter was released into circulation on September 4, 2007.

Following the ceremony, the crowd may exchange paper currency for $10 rolls of newly minted Wyoming quarters. Children 18 years old and younger will receive a free quarter.

The reverse of the Wyoming quarter features the iconic image of a bucking horse and rider, symbolizing its Wild West heritage. Inscribed on the coin is Wyoming’s nickname, “Equality State,” which recognizes the state’s historical role in establishing equal voting rights for women. (more…)

Collectica, Inc., an online auction community and marketplace for collectors, has entered into a collaborative agreement with the American Numismatic Association. The relationship is designed to address online consumer protection issues and create a safer, more user- friendly online experience for collectors.

Headquartered in Chicago, Collectica provides not only an auctions marketplace, but a space for members to showcase their collections and interact with other enthusiasts. It has a large focus on coins and currency, but also welcomes many other collector interests, including stamps, music and sports memorabilia. Members can showcase and organize their collections, meet people with similar collecting interests, establish clubs, host virtual meetings, read industry news and share information about upcoming events. Collectors can even keep their collections private so only their friends can view their albums. The marketplace is free to list in and closely patrolled to fight against fraud. (more…)