Tag Archives: michael-bugeja

What Coins Would Look Like …

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Benjamin Franklin who designed America’s first coin, the Fugio Cent, criticized the original Great Seal of the United States, writing to his daughter that the eagle looked more like a turkey than a bird of prey.

Franklin then went on to compare the character of the two birds. Here is his original letter:

Franklin wrote, “For my own part I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly.” He then described a scene where an eagle perched on a dead tree sees a fishing hawk made a catch, only to have the eagle pursue the hawk and snatch the fish.

“Besides, he is a rank coward,” Franklin alleged about the eagle, noting small birds chase eagles from their habitat.

The turkey also has special standing in Americana.

At the first Thanksgiving in 1621, the Wampanoag people brought five deer to the feast, and the Pilgrims brought “fowle,” including the turkey, which they avidly hunted.

So let’s talk turkey when it comes to the design of coins.

As a former member of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, I routinely worked with other members and the U.S. Mint to help select eagle and other designs for commemorative coins. I even wrote a book about the history of coin design.

In celebration of Thanksgiving, I used artificial intelligence to redesign U.S. dollars, replacing the bald eagle with a turkey. Below are the depictions.

In the comment section, state which rendition you prefer out of all of the depictions. (If you’re feeling ambitious, create your own renditions using Dall-E 3.

Flowing Hair Dollar

Morgan Dollar

Peace Dollar

Eisenhower Dollar

Susan B. Anthony Dollar

Sacagawea Dollar

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You can find more information about types, varieties, errors, grading, bidding and buying in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider buying or gifting the work for a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist blog. Thank you.

“Something’s Wrong”: Relying on gut instinct

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Did you ever look at a coin and think, something’s wrong? No, you’re not looking at an error that you cannot identify. There is just something fishy about the coin. Advice: DON’T TAKE THE BAIT!

One of the most influential psychology books is Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, in which he explains how we make split-second decisions on gut instinct, knowing something is wrong–like a counterfeit coin–but not being able to consciously explain why.

You have two inner messengers: consciousness and conscience. Consciousness is awareness. It exists in the present. Conscience is that inner voice reminding you of past successes … and failures. “Gut instinct” is the conscience sending you a message.

It is a mistake to go with consciousness and long deliberation, Gladwell writes. This applies to coins. If you have studied and looked at hundreds of counterfeit coins, you may not need die markers. Just trust your gut, often described as our second brain, and move on.

There is something wrong with this 1884 Morgan dollar below, and I could speculate what the flaws might be, based on the photo, and debate whether I should place a bid or not:

The cheek looks clean or PhotoShopped, but this may only be a soft strike. Then I look at the sharp date, 1884, and cancel that … perhaps.

I don’t like the doubling on the lips and forehead of Lady Liberty. Normally, doubling indicates an error. But this looks raised above that flat nose and cheek. That’s not normal. The doubling or traces of doubling should be on all the devices, not just one.

And there is some flattening and possible cleaning under the “E” of “E Pluribus Unum.”

Finally, the hair, “liberty” motto, and other devices look razor sharp.

Following Blink’s advice, there is no reason to question what, exactly, is amiss or isn’t. Just affirm your gut instinct and do not take a chance on this perhaps being a counterfeit. Concerning those fakes, it always is a good idea to know counterfeit detection. NGC has a great site.

So does Proxiblog. We feature regular posts on counterfeit coins by experts like Jack D. Young and Jack Riley.

If you like posts like this, subscribe so you can be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

Proxiblog also has thousands of followers on Facebook Coin Groups and other social media venues. To get the latest discussion and commentary, be sure to friend us by clicking here.

You can find more information about types, varieties, errors, grading, bidding and buying in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider buying or gifting the work for a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist blog. Thank you.