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 Replies: 14 / Views: 1,536 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
It seems that in a world already going haywire, the folks down under are in a heated competition with each other to see who can put out the coins that make collectors and stackers gag the worst. It started out a little while ago with the NZ Mint Niue Adorable Fluffy Kitten Series, which was a strong first effort. Not to be outdone, the Perth Mint is now in the race with some equally strong entries. I just got an email from Perth announcing their Tuvalu adorable Forest Babies series, which includes an adorable little baby grey wolf, an adorable little baby brown bear and an exceptionally adorable little baby red squirrel. See ... http://www.perthmint.com.au/catalog...ture_4_ImageThe squirrel design is totally over the top. It's an uninhibited cartoon-like parody of reality. I'm not sure if the squirrel model used was hydrocephalic or if the squirrel's head and eye are grotesquely oversized on purpose. Worse yet, the way the squirrel is clutching his treasured nut is just too precious. Perth also released another gagger that's part of their Mythical Creature series. The Unicorn thankfully isn't clutching his treasured nut, but he looks like he gets his mane done in the same beauty salon where Freedom Girl gets her snaky-looking hair-do done. SBSS groupies should love The Unicorn. See ... http://www.perthmint.com.au/catalog...ures_Image_3George Morgan and Augustus Saint-Gaudens must be rolling over in their graves. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5202 Posts |
But at least they are all "Tuvalu Legal Tender," so if you're ever planning on a trip to Tuvalu (assuming you can first figure out where it is on a map), you'll have some spending money handy!
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
That is kind of a Unicorn. He looks like hes getting ready for a giant Lord of the Rings battle.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1200 Posts |
Yeah--I'm partial to that precious, nut-clutching little squirrel but the nutless Unicorn sure is a regular cartoon cutie, too. The Freedom Girl hairdo and the goatees on his chin and all four feet are great Perth Mint artwork. |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Its hard to hate things with a gotee. With that hair he should be modeling in high end fashion magazines or at least the cover of romance novels
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1391 Posts |
The eyes on the baby squirrel are just a little to much. Almost like it was drawn anime style.
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Valued Member
United States
292 Posts |
Coins have gone the way of stamps - and that's why I quit collecting stamps. And unlike modern stamps, at least SOME modern coins (not these) have a somewhat realistic PM value.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5202 Posts |
Quote:
Coins have gone the way of stamps I would agree with you with regard to world coins, but I think the U.S. Mint has shown admirable restraint so far in this regard.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
548 Posts |
Utter crap.
Edited by Demarco Bishopp
05/23/2013 05:51 am
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Quote:
I would agree with you with regard to world coins, but I think the U.S. Mint has shown admirable restraint so far in this regard. Id actually take the other side on this. While there certainly are a lot of gimmicky coins being pumped out now I would like to see the mint expand their offerings some. The main reason I say this is because theyve shown they want a wide variety of products offered, but I would rather see different coins over done a little bit then see the same coins repacked 14 different ways like were seeing now. Im also bias because I really do enjoy all the different WWII and D-Day commemoratives put out from the mints across the world that the US mint is severely lacking on
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
No disagreement with anything you said, but... I think the US Mint should be commended for not "going consumerist" and cranking out tons of stupid, crappy products that reek of the Home Shopping Network. I'm really not an Official USM Groupie, but they've kept their products from becoming as milk-spotted and transit-damaged as RCM silver coins are famous for being and they haven't gotten insanely overpriced like The Royal Mint. More importantly, they haven't gone crazy producing glitzy, gaudy, painted and rhinestoney Home Shopping Network type garbage that looks like it came from the "Coin Islands" (Niue, Palau, Tokelau, Tuvalu, etc). The USM gets enough wrong and irritates customers enough, but at least they haven't gone totally gone to pot and they deserve credit for at least that much. I'd rather see them underdo things than see them put out damaged, badly overpriced products or a world of glitzy garbage. Edit: I'm sure there must be a half-way compromise point somewhere, but I'm not optimistic enough to think we could ever hope to achieve that point... Edited by Fat Freddy
05/24/2013 4:02 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
A half way point between what the USM and Perth mints do was exactly what I was thinking in my head. We don't need every animal to roam the earth getting a commemorative coin or commemorate every single thing that every happened but a slightly wider variety could hopefully stop having the same mint set coins put into 10 different products. Just to steal some idea that I've really liked from elsewhere a bald eagle coin would seem appropriate, I really like the battle of midway ones as well. It just seems ironic and wrong that other countries put out more coins celebrating American achievements and symbols than we do ourselves.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5202 Posts |
I wouldn't mind some more variety from the U.S. Mint in terms of subject matter, but I was mostly talking about colorized coins, coins with inset crystals, "privy" markings, etc.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
BB---Your last sentence hit the nail on the head perfectly. When I see silly stuff like the current Niue painted coin (1oz silver for $180, but it comes with a
real snappy wood box!) commemorating the bald eagle, it makes me shake my head in disbelief. Well--just so long as the USM stays away from paint-jobs,
rhinestones and commemoratives celebrating Tasmanian insects and Djiboutian lizards, I won't complain.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
I actually like the privy marks if they're meaningful. I don't like the year of the snake ones or the ones just for doing one but the wwii ones are nice, a 200 year war of 1812 or 50 year landing on the moon would have been cool too.
The colorized coins I like some of but I'm not a fan of the crystals and added things like that. Like freddy mentioned also not a fan of super elaborate packaging where you get stiff premiums mentioned for nice wooden boxes, takes up to much space too.
Your lizard example made me laugh but was a good example of what not to do. Aside from crystals I'm fine with them doing some coloring or privy marks as long as the subject is something significant and doesn't get watered down doing things for the sake of doing things. If that year doesn't have anything worth doing then take a break for the year.
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Replies: 14 / Views: 1,536 |
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Posted 05/21/2013 09:58 am
