The 2015 high relief gold coin: a critique


 The US mint is about to release a new high relief $100 gold coin.

The obverse depicts a new-fangled liberty who looks like an amateur anorexic model struggling to hold a pose.  While I may worry that the B and E in liberty will catch fire from her torch, the bigger problem is Liberty’s left arm.  Why is it so big?  Based on Liberty’s angle, her left arm should be farther away than the right.  But it appears larger.  Why?  It also doesn’t appear that the upper arm would match up with the shoulder – instead it hangs too low.  The headpiece looks like it is made of artichoke.

Moving on to the coin itself.  We have another one ounce gold coin that is competing with two others – the Saint Gaudens American Eagle and the American Buffalo.  Do we need another?  The denomination of the new coin will be $100 – double that of the other one ounce gold coins?  Why?  Dr. Planchet cannot answer this.


What is the purpose of this coin?  It doesn’t really commemorate anything.  Will it be part of a series?  If so, the nature of the series is unclear.  Will this fit into any type of collection – or is it just an orphan oddity to be placed into a dresser drawer?


Production is limited to 50,000 coins.  Perhaps that is more than our society needs.

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