Best looking portraits on coins?

[Peter 615]

This beauty would grace your collections.

http://www.coinfactswiki.com/wiki/Spain_1854_20_reales_6_point_star

[Red Riley 2]

This beauty would grace your collections.

http://www.coinfactswiki.com/wiki/Spain_1854_20_reales_6_point_star

I seem to remember somebody on here (Scottish Money?) describing her as the 'Plasticine Princess' but Miss World she was not.

I tend to admire portraits where accuracy has been the main criterion and as such the two portraits by de Saulles (Queen Victoria Old Head and Edward VII) are favourites of mine although due to its very intricate detail, the Edward VII portrait is problematic from a numismatic point of view. And whilst I admire the portraits of Victoria by William and Leonard Wyon, as I have said on here several times before they don't look anything like dumpy, chinless Victoria did in real life.

[Red Riley 2]

Possible, but it looks as if the coin is more bronzed at the ring which contradicts the assumptions I would make for contacting surfaces where I would expect less bronzing action to occur. A possibility is that it's due to contact with a concentrated area of bronzing chemical. It isn't due to contact with the vessel rim containing the chemical because the bronzing continues outside the ring. A useful starting point would be knowing how the process is physically carried out.

It looks almost as if the coin was picked out of a very shallow solution almost the consistency of treacle and then left without any attempt to dry it off by hand.

[Rob 3,106]

Possible, but it looks as if the coin is more bronzed at the ring which contradicts the assumptions I would make for contacting surfaces where I would expect less bronzing action to occur. A possibility is that it's due to contact with a concentrated area of bronzing chemical. It isn't due to contact with the vessel rim containing the chemical because the bronzing continues outside the ring. A useful starting point would be knowing how the process is physically carried out.

It looks almost as if the coin was picked out of a very shallow solution almost the consistency of treacle and then left without any attempt to dry it off by hand.

The interesting thing is that it only appears (or at least I have only seen it) on this particular type, suggesting a deviation from the normal method. Usually the bronzing is even on the Soho pieces with the possible exception of some early pieces. Taylor's bronzing by comparison was very patchy and so many of his products exhibit irregular tones across the flan.

[Peckris 579]

This beauty would grace your collections.

http://www.coinfactswiki.com/wiki/Spain_1854_20_reales_6_point_star

I seem to remember somebody on here (Scottish Money?) describing her as the 'Plasticine Princess' but Miss World she was not.

I tend to admire portraits where accuracy has been the main criterion and as such the two portraits by de Saulles (Queen Victoria Old Head and Edward VII) are favourites of mine although due to its very intricate detail, the Edward VII portrait is problematic from a numismatic point of view. And whilst I admire the portraits of Victoria by William and Leonard Wyon, as I have said on here several times before they don't look anything like dumpy, chinless Victoria did in real life.

Senorita Piggy!

[TomGoodheart 380]

Not these.

Magnentius as Elvis.

And as Jack Black on a bad day.

(Both from the Bridgenorth hoard, currently listed on Antony Wilson's site).

[moneyer12 0]

this one of bolivar on an 1888 sucre from ecuador..............

Edited February 3, 2012 by moneyer12

[Peckris 579]

this one of bolivar on an 1888 sucre from ecuador..............

Blimey. Magnetius as Elvis is one thing, but that wallah must be Gene Vincent with a broken nose

[moneyer12 0]

how about this kriegsgeld from aachen........................

how can anything so ugly only have one head??

Edited February 5, 2012 by moneyer12

[Gollum 2]

how about this kriegsgeld from aachen........................

how can anything so ugly only have one head??

who is it, Friar Tuck !.

[Peckris 579]

how about this kriegsgeld from aachen........................

how can anything so ugly only have one head??

OMG. Straight from a nightmare!

[Generic Lad 25]

how about this kriegsgeld from aachen........................

how can anything so ugly only have one head??

OMG. Straight from a nightmare!

Wow, I thought I'd never find a coin as ugly as the Susan B. Anthony dollar, I guess I was wrong!

[Peckris 579]

how about this kriegsgeld from aachen........................

how can anything so ugly only have one head??

OMG. Straight from a nightmare!

Wow, I thought I'd never find a coin as ugly as the Susan B. Anthony dollar, I guess I was wrong!

It's as if an engraver was playing around one day and thought "what would it look like if they crossed a person with a pig?"

[Oxford_Collector 0]

I've always quite liked Marianne (image from the obverse of the French "Rooster" 20 Franc gold coin:

Also the very French-influenced lady representing "Liberty" on the US silver Peace Dollar:

[Oxford_Collector 0]

Also the "Swiss Miss" from the Vrenelli 20 Franc gold coin:

[Oxford_Collector 0]

Wow, I thought I'd never find a coin as ugly as the Susan B. Anthony dollar, I guess I was wrong!

Yes - just what *was* the US Mint thinking when they tried to foist the Susan B. Anthony dollar on the American public?!? They were facing a hard job anyway trying to convince people to use a dollar coin instead of a note in the first place, so what do they do, put a coin out with a portrait so ugly no one wants it in their purse/wallet (though of course there were other reasons that people didn't like the coin, such as its similarity in size to a quarter). Okay, I know she did much for civil rights for woman in the US, but she doesn't look great on a coin.

BTW have you seen what the other proposed design for that coin actually was? It was actually a rather nice Flowing Hair rendition of Liberty, proposed by United States Mint Engraver, Frank Gasparro, see:

http://koinpro.tripod.com/Articles/1977LibertyHeadDollar.htm

I can't help thinking the coin would've had more success if they'd gone with that design! The reverse is better too...

Edited February 14, 2012 by Oxford_Collector

[Generic Lad 25]

Wow, I thought I'd never find a coin as ugly as the Susan B. Anthony dollar, I guess I was wrong!

Yes - just what *was* the US Mint thinking when they tried to foist the Susan B. Anthony dollar on the American public?!? They were facing a hard job anyway trying to convince people to use a dollar coin instead of a note in the first place, so what do they do, put a coin out with a portrait so ugly no one wants it in their purse/wallet (though of course there were other reasons that people didn't like the coin, such as its similarity in size to a quarter). Okay, I know she did much for civil rights for woman in the US, but she doesn't look great on a coin.

BTW have you seen what the other proposed design for that coin actually was? It was actually a rather nice Flowing Hair rendition of Liberty, proposed by United States Mint Engraver, Frank Gasparro, see:

http://koinpro.tripod.com/Articles/1977LibertyHeadDollar.htm

I can't help thinking the coin would've had more success if they'd gone with that design! The reverse is better too...

Yes, the pattern coin was so much better. The entire coin was a disaster, an ugly reverse and the same reverse used on the Eisenhower dollar! I must say though, I do like the reverse of the Sacajawea dollar (at least before the US mint decided to make yet another meaningless politically correct "commemorative" series), though the obverse is bland and the edge lettering is poorly executed.

I find it rather sad that the US mint has gone from producing amazing coinage in the form of the Morgan Dollar, Peace Dollar, Indian Head Cent, Standing Liberty Quarter, Buffalo Nickel, Mercury Dime and Walking Liberty half dollar to the Eisenhower Dollar, Susan B. Anthony Dollar, Washington Quarter, the far too numerous state/territory/national park quarters, the ugly and terrible presidential dollars, the Franklin half dollar (which, I suppose I don't mind so much since they are all 90% silver...) and the Lincoln cent.

There has been such a backsliding when it comes to coins since about the 1940s. Despite the fact that technology has advanced, the US mint instead decides to make low relief coins out of worthless, nearly unusable metal on the dollar coins with poorly designed edge lettering. On a thicker coin it wouldn't be a problem (like on the 1 and 2 pound coins) or if they made it raised (like the old Victorian crowns) but carved edge lettering in such a thin coin is worse than useless.

Of course, I don't think things will get any better if the modern commemoratives are anything to go by and with the possibility of changing to even worse metal (steel)... I don't have much hope.

[Oxford_Collector 0]

Wow, I thought I'd never find a coin as ugly as the Susan B. Anthony dollar, I guess I was wrong!

Yes - just what *was* the US Mint thinking when they tried to foist the Susan B. Anthony dollar on the American public?!? They were facing a hard job anyway trying to convince people to use a dollar coin instead of a note in the first place, so what do they do, put a coin out with a portrait so ugly no one wants it in their purse/wallet (though of course there were other reasons that people didn't like the coin, such as its similarity in size to a quarter). Okay, I know she did much for civil rights for woman in the US, but she doesn't look great on a coin.

BTW have you seen what the other proposed design for that coin actually was? It was actually a rather nice Flowing Hair rendition of Liberty, proposed by United States Mint Engraver, Frank Gasparro, see:

http://koinpro.tripod.com/Articles/1977LibertyHeadDollar.htm

I can't help thinking the coin would've had more success if they'd gone with that design! The reverse is better too...

Yes, the pattern coin was so much better. The entire coin was a disaster, an ugly reverse and the same reverse used on the Eisenhower dollar! I must say though, I do like the reverse of the Sacajawea dollar (at least before the US mint decided to make yet another meaningless politically correct "commemorative" series), though the obverse is bland and the edge lettering is poorly executed.

I find it rather sad that the US mint has gone from producing amazing coinage in the form of the Morgan Dollar, Peace Dollar, Indian Head Cent, Standing Liberty Quarter, Buffalo Nickel, Mercury Dime and Walking Liberty half dollar to the Eisenhower Dollar, Susan B. Anthony Dollar, Washington Quarter, the far too numerous state/territory/national park quarters, the ugly and terrible presidential dollars, the Franklin half dollar (which, I suppose I don't mind so much since they are all 90% silver...) and the Lincoln cent.

There has been such a backsliding when it comes to coins since about the 1940s. Despite the fact that technology has advanced, the US mint instead decides to make low relief coins out of worthless, nearly unusable metal on the dollar coins with poorly designed edge lettering. On a thicker coin it wouldn't be a problem (like on the 1 and 2 pound coins) or if they made it raised (like the old Victorian crowns) but carved edge lettering in such a thin coin is worse than useless.

Of course, I don't think things will get any better if the modern commemoratives are anything to go by and with the possibility of changing to even worse metal (steel)... I don't have much hope.

Its really sad, as the much of the early to mid 20th Century US coinage had great designs (although my favourite US silver coin, the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, wore badly in use), though I actually think the Washington quarter isn't too bad, and unlike in the UK, US coins were 90% silver right up to 1964 (which makes the Franklin half more acceptable, as you say)! Mind you much the same could be said about the worsening designs of the UK coinage since decimalisation, I guess!

[argentumandcoins 70]

Wow, I thought I'd never find a coin as ugly as the Susan B. Anthony dollar, I guess I was wrong!

Yes - just what *was* the US Mint thinking when they tried to foist the Susan B. Anthony dollar on the American public?!? They were facing a hard job anyway trying to convince people to use a dollar coin instead of a note in the first place, so what do they do, put a coin out with a portrait so ugly no one wants it in their purse/wallet (though of course there were other reasons that people didn't like the coin, such as its similarity in size to a quarter). Okay, I know she did much for civil rights for woman in the US, but she doesn't look great on a coin.

BTW have you seen what the other proposed design for that coin actually was? It was actually a rather nice Flowing Hair rendition of Liberty, proposed by United States Mint Engraver, Frank Gasparro, see:

http://koinpro.tripod.com/Articles/1977LibertyHeadDollar.htm

I can't help thinking the coin would've had more success if they'd gone with that design! The reverse is better too...

Yes, the pattern coin was so much better. The entire coin was a disaster, an ugly reverse and the same reverse used on the Eisenhower dollar! I must say though, I do like the reverse of the Sacajawea dollar (at least before the US mint decided to make yet another meaningless politically correct "commemorative" series), though the obverse is bland and the edge lettering is poorly executed.

I find it rather sad that the US mint has gone from producing amazing coinage in the form of the Morgan Dollar, Peace Dollar, Indian Head Cent, Standing Liberty Quarter, Buffalo Nickel, Mercury Dime and Walking Liberty half dollar to the Eisenhower Dollar, Susan B. Anthony Dollar, Washington Quarter, the far too numerous state/territory/national park quarters, the ugly and terrible presidential dollars, the Franklin half dollar (which, I suppose I don't mind so much since they are all 90% silver...) and the Lincoln cent.

There has been such a backsliding when it comes to coins since about the 1940s. Despite the fact that technology has advanced, the US mint instead decides to make low relief coins out of worthless, nearly unusable metal on the dollar coins with poorly designed edge lettering. On a thicker coin it wouldn't be a problem (like on the 1 and 2 pound coins) or if they made it raised (like the old Victorian crowns) but carved edge lettering in such a thin coin is worse than useless.

Of course, I don't think things will get any better if the modern commemoratives are anything to go by and with the possibility of changing to even worse metal (steel)... I don't have much hope.

Its really sad, as the much of the early to mid 20th Century US coinage had great designs (although my favourite US silver coin, the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, wore badly in use), though I actually think the Washington quarter isn't too bad, and unlike in the UK, US coins were 90% silver right up to 1964 (which makes the Franklin half more acceptable, as you say)! Mind you much the same could be said about the worsening designs of the UK coinage since decimalisation, I guess!

I think the UK designs were on a slippery slope long before that.

The George VI and Lizzy pre-decimal stuff is pretty un-inspiring in my opinion.

[Peckris 579]

Wow, I thought I'd never find a coin as ugly as the Susan B. Anthony dollar, I guess I was wrong!

Yes - just what *was* the US Mint thinking when they tried to foist the Susan B. Anthony dollar on the American public?!? They were facing a hard job anyway trying to convince people to use a dollar coin instead of a note in the first place, so what do they do, put a coin out with a portrait so ugly no one wants it in their purse/wallet (though of course there were other reasons that people didn't like the coin, such as its similarity in size to a quarter). Okay, I know she did much for civil rights for woman in the US, but she doesn't look great on a coin.

BTW have you seen what the other proposed design for that coin actually was? It was actually a rather nice Flowing Hair rendition of Liberty, proposed by United States Mint Engraver, Frank Gasparro, see:

http://koinpro.tripod.com/Articles/1977LibertyHeadDollar.htm

I can't help thinking the coin would've had more success if they'd gone with that design! The reverse is better too...

Yes, the pattern coin was so much better. The entire coin was a disaster, an ugly reverse and the same reverse used on the Eisenhower dollar! I must say though, I do like the reverse of the Sacajawea dollar (at least before the US mint decided to make yet another meaningless politically correct "commemorative" series), though the obverse is bland and the edge lettering is poorly executed.

I find it rather sad that the US mint has gone from producing amazing coinage in the form of the Morgan Dollar, Peace Dollar, Indian Head Cent, Standing Liberty Quarter, Buffalo Nickel, Mercury Dime and Walking Liberty half dollar to the Eisenhower Dollar, Susan B. Anthony Dollar, Washington Quarter, the far too numerous state/territory/national park quarters, the ugly and terrible presidential dollars, the Franklin half dollar (which, I suppose I don't mind so much since they are all 90% silver...) and the Lincoln cent.

There has been such a backsliding when it comes to coins since about the 1940s. Despite the fact that technology has advanced, the US mint instead decides to make low relief coins out of worthless, nearly unusable metal on the dollar coins with poorly designed edge lettering. On a thicker coin it wouldn't be a problem (like on the 1 and 2 pound coins) or if they made it raised (like the old Victorian crowns) but carved edge lettering in such a thin coin is worse than useless.

Of course, I don't think things will get any better if the modern commemoratives are anything to go by and with the possibility of changing to even worse metal (steel)... I don't have much hope.

Its really sad, as the much of the early to mid 20th Century US coinage had great designs (although my favourite US silver coin, the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, wore badly in use), though I actually think the Washington quarter isn't too bad, and unlike in the UK, US coins were 90% silver right up to 1964 (which makes the Franklin half more acceptable, as you say)! Mind you much the same could be said about the worsening designs of the UK coinage since decimalisation, I guess!

I think the UK designs were on a slippery slope long before that.

The George VI and Lizzy pre-decimal stuff is pretty un-inspiring in my opinion.

I'm not entirely convinced (though it's highly subjective of course). Certainly George VI CuNi is uninspiring, though it got better under Liz. I actually like Chris Ironside's designs for the decimal coins. I also think the £1 coins have by and large been very good, and many of the commem £2 coins too. But I think the 25p £5 and 50p designs stink to high heaven with the honourable exception of the 1977 crown.

[Coinery 1,012]

I wonder if when we hit the CuNi phase a lot of the magic went out of of it all? No longer the treasure chests of pirates past, may as well be plastic now, with integral security chips.

I think of how much more inspiring it must have been to be working with precious metals; the engravers, the mint workers, surrounded by all that gold and silver. The magic and mystery of man's second greatest attraction must have brought some special energies to the creative table?

I know there are many, many, many, people who collect the post 1920 coinage, but I just cannot get excited about it! Do you think the mint cranks it up a gear for the modern gold and silver strikes? Do you think CuNi is a factor affecting inspiration?

[seuk 85]

Miss Denmark...:

[scott 142]

that portrait is horrid, it really is.

[Debbie 58]

I wonder if when we hit the CuNi phase a lot of the magic went out of of it all? No longer the treasure chests of pirates past, may as well be plastic now, with integral security chips.

I think of how much more inspiring it must have been to be working with precious metals; the engravers, the mint workers, surrounded by all that gold and silver. The magic and mystery of man's second greatest attraction must have brought some special energies to the creative table?

I know there are many, many, many, people who collect the post 1920 coinage, but I just cannot get excited about it! Do you think the mint cranks it up a gear for the modern gold and silver strikes? Do you think CuNi is a factor affecting inspiration?

Yes I have to agree with you there Stuart. The notion that money was once actually worth something.... such a romantic idea.

And how many post decimal coins have been made into treasured keepsakes?

I often wonder how much the melt value of the silver strip found in our £20 notes is currently worth?

[Cerbera100 0]

Yes I have to agree with you there Stuart. The notion that money was once actually worth something.... such a romantic idea.

And how many post decimal coins have been made into treasured keepsakes?

I often wonder how much the melt value of the silver strip found in our £20 notes is currently worth?

Is it even Silver?!