Shireroth

Especially important to my fellow Americans, there is a(nother) new nickel! And this one is probably the only good one since the Buffalo. It shows a forward facing portrait of Mr. Jefferson (writer of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States, for those of you who, for one reason or another, didn't know.) What excites me most is that the portrait actually looks like Jefferson, with every crack and fissure in his face, every wrinkle and misplaced hair. There is even a hint of his bad posture, and missing the idealized nose, chin, and general facial structure that seems to pervade all other Jefferson nickel portraits. Why, you may ask, does this make me so glad? Because it shows that Americans are starting to see early Presidents the way they were and the way they probably wanted to be seen-- as real human beings, with flaws, imperfections, and vices-- while still displaying them with all the dignity and honor they deserve, and not as gods of classical antiquity. Now if we could only do the same with the George Washington quarter (the Lincoln on the penny is the only Presidential coin portrait I like) and just totally scrape FDR off the dime and replace him with Mercury (or "Capped Liberty," if you insist upon ruining the symbolism) we'd be all set.

When I saw one of those, I looked at it, said "wow, a new nickel", and put it away. I didn't take a look at the imperfections, etc. If I could find one right now I'd take a look, but I'd be amazed to see all that detail on a tiny little coin.

you'd be surprised how much you can tell about a person by their face (or a good reproduction of it.)

Part of the reason I like this coin is because it looks like you just caught Jefferson while he was walking down the hallway, not as if he had been posing for it like some perfect diety in a temple. In short, he looks like a real guy. The pictures on the old coins really were gross idealizations.

You should see Australian currency, everything has the queen on it. For years it was the official coronation protrait, QEII looking ridiculously perfect and about 17 years old.

In recent years the portraint has been reguarly updated, but somehow they still present an idealized look of the queen.

Damn it, why couldn't everyone have voted YES in '99...

But wouldn't the mercury be carcinogenic?

Ah ... deliberate misinterpretations...

[Quickly stashes portable guillotine before the queen sees it and freaks out.]

Damn! Foiled again! And it would have worked too, if it weren't for that meddling heir and his spare, always defending grandmum! Don't worry...they're next...[cackles insidiously and continues work on portrait of Robespierre.]