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.

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