What is a value of a coin? 

Is the value only determined by what it can buy?    

Does the design of the coin determine value as well?  

Can the design affect what others think of that country or civilization?

I’m not talking about whether it says 10 cents or a dollar.    I’m talking about what we choose to put upon it shows our power in the world, or what we think it should be?

 What I am asking is:  is there a sub conscious relationship to the art on the coin and its buying power, and what the public perceives the people to be by what is on the coin itself?   We know that weight and how it feels makes value, but what if how it looked determined the coin’ts worth and the country’s perceived self-worth as well?   Is that possible?

 Utter nonsence, right?

EARLY REPUBLIC: The JANUS coin

 The Janus coin (beginnings and ends) – early republic.  Look at it.  The design is brilliant, intricate, and its worth is determined in silver.  I love just to look at it. The Roman Galley on the back is intricate and detailed, and try to imagine how it felt in your hand.   This is a coin of the early Republic with a long life of a people laid out in front of it.  It was the beginning for the Roman people.   They chose the JANUS god to adorn the front (the god of beginnings and ends) an apt and noble god for a youthful people, and the symbol of power called the trireme.  Naval power to sing the power of the republic itself.    Naval power had saved the Romans on more than one occasion (Pompey’s conquering of the pirates on the MARE NOSTRUM is just one example).

 In ancient times the value of money was actually tied to the amount of precious metal that sat in the coin.    THAT you can always feel in your hand.   The weight is distinctive, the silver and the gold makes it feel heavy and satisfying.   There is still heavy trading in coins of this value, but what of the design of the coin?  Can the design determined value?  Can the design determine respect?

EARLY REPUBLIC: 1889 Morgan Silver Dollar

 Check out the 1889 Morgan Silver Dollar currently valued today at 1,100 to 1,300 dollars.  A magnificent piece, with that same feel in your hand, but look at the design.   The head of Lady Liberty is exquisite.  Like the Romans with their God Janus, Lady Liberty is another form of deity — a personfication of a nation’s ideals.    I am not saying that it is just the choice of using a god or a personification which makes the value of the dollar higher, but making the holder of the coin feel that by weight AND design he or she holds something of IMPORTANCE.   

  Would you rather have the Morgan Dollar in your hand (right) ?

Eisenhower Silver Coin

 Or would you rather have this (left) a 1972 dollar Eisenhower coin?  Forget value, which one seems to you worth more?  To me, the Morgan not only looks heavier, the design gives the impression of power…even though the subject on the left was one of the 20th century’s most powerful men.    Have a Morgan in your pocket you are carrying power, value in weight, and value in design.  Look how deep Lady Liberty is cut into the metal, it is a god damn statue in your pocket that ROARS of national power.  

 Shouldn’t a coin always denote power?  Shouldn’t the image upon it raise what it is trying to say to almost spiritual level?

Well, in my world: YES! 

 A coin should have intrinsic value, it should have weight, and a coin should have a design that speaks of a nation’s values and dreams.

 Modern coins do not use the silver nor design in the same manner.  Today, coins, especially quarters, have turned into travel post cards.  Don’t get me wrong I have no problem promoting the granduer of the ‘Grand Canyon’ and I would be the first to say that Duke Ellington should be lionized at one of the greatest musical geniues of the age, but are these the symbols of American power?  In my opinion it is turning our monetary power into postage stamps.  Give me personifications of our ideals in classical form for our coinage every time.  

The Walking Liberty Coin circa 1940

 The ‘Walking Liberty 1940 silver quarter dollar is a image paying homage to a nation.  I have a coin like this dated 1945.  I admit I purchased it specifically for the reference to that date (end of the war), and hold this in your hand and you instantly feel that there is value behind it…the weight of a nation. This symbolizes a nation on the rise.  The sun even on the horizon hints of a bright future.  

Standing Liberty

Even the 1930 standing liberty is our ode to the our Roman forebears.  This is beauty, value, and a ‘great’ design incorporated into one coin.  The lines should be cut DEEP to denote the endurance of the country.  Do modern coins have such lines cut deep into the metal?  No. This coin was made to last forever.  To be heavy in the pocket and to be impressive to the touch and the eye.  Look at the Morgan Dollar Eagle below.  What does it say to you?  Can you doubt for a moment that the country is NOT here to stay?  Just, look at it.

EARLY REPUBLIC

 Yes, yes, yes.  I am totally propagandized and have been seduced by the classical design in the coins.  Yes, I am a classical snob, but look at some of the modern coins in comparision.  Does it speak steadfastness, bedrock principals, AND national power?   

Years ago, my dad gave me a quarter (depicted below).  A full silver one as they were disappearing.  He turned to me and said, “Rob, keep this…you won’t see another one like it.”  I carried it about with me in my wallet for years, and unfortunately one day it fell out.  I was extremely disappointed, still am…but to feel it in your hand you knew you had SOMETHING OF VALUE.   Am I talking buying value, sentimental value, or value of a nation that was still on the rise –  a value of 90 percent silver anyway. 

No, not Mercury. It's actually Lady Liberty...but I have called it a Mercury Dime all my life, and I will continue to do so no matter what anyone says to the contrary.

 A quarter of its like has never came to me in such a way again.  My father received it in a transaction, turned around and gave it to me and said, ‘Rob, keep this.  You won’t see it again.”  I admit…I didn’t keep it for the silver but because he gave it to me.  Later, I tried to find a copy of the coin, but they were gone, all quarters had a copper layer that sat sandwiched between the silver.   What was left was a cheapened copy of something greater. Yes, we are talking weight again, and the value of the silver.  Not design right?  But even size can be an issue.  Why make a dollar coin the same size as a quarter, and why choose Susan B. Antony?  Though I admit her greatness in her support of women’s rights.  Choose a founder of the country or choose a personification of American ideals. 

Note that from Republic to Empire the coins seemed to change. 

LATE EMPIRE: This is a coin from a people hoping for divine intervention. Though the gold is worth more than the silver, the early republic coin says POWER to me, rather than a call for prayer.

LATE EMPIRE: Valentian III who lacked the ability to rule. A man with a weak profile.

 Look at the gold coin to the left — an anemic empire torn apart by barbarians cutting through and slicing away what was left only to be bribed by gold.  Look at the silver one below: powerful, full of fire, not worth as much as the other one, but the design, THE DESIGN, is represents a people on the rise, putting their faith in themselves and their city.  But what of the coins of an earlier republic?  Their symbols denoted personfications of a city-state, of a people. coins were to sing their praises of who and what a people were and what they hoped to be.  Eventually, as generals paid their armies it was to remind the spear carrier where his pay was coming from.  The soldier has a constant propagandist reminder of where his loyalities lie, and that marked the beginning of the end (See Brutis coin below). 

EARLY REPUBLIC: A personification of a city, confident in this ability to take on all comers. Look at the design of the nose, the mouth that seems to have an amused expression.

EARLY REPUBLIC: Brutus on the Obverse side of the coin. Brutis was the chief conspirator to kill Caesar. Hold this in your hand and you know your money comes from Brutis. When he calls for volunteers for his legion, with a little silver in your pocket, this is the man you will obey. Not the city-state, but BRUTIS!

EARLY REPUBLIC: The portrait of the man on the left side is Roma. Hold this in your hand and you know who is paying you. Yes, the merchant or the paymaster of a legion, but its the state that you hold your allegiance.

(OK, ok, you nuismatrists and / or economists.  Maybe this is a simplification.  Trying to play art into value, design as a function of state and the economy – who the heck does he think he is?  Fall of empire based on a quarter?  Fall from greatness based on design? Hurumph! Foolish.  So let me know what you think?  Don’t let me get a way with it. Comment.)