MPCC Grand final up now for voting...5 day poll

I've let this one go for an extra day, two truly beautiful coins duke it out for ultimate bragging honours in this year's competition. Get in there now and get your favourite over the line!

Argh... the two ugliest of the 9 champions ended up in the final.
(Okay, I'm prepared to admit that maybe the Saudi Arabian riyal is more ugly.)

I agree with January First-of-May. I ended up voting for the Italian coin, but I really think neither deserves to be grand champion.

There were some coins that I thought deserved to be voted into, including, that German Canal medal . But, as it goes, democracy sometimes gets a hiccup and we end up with candidates we don't like (ahem, the 2016 election)...

Strange how opinions differ.

I've been having a brief discussion with a few collectors. We all love Una and the Lion and Petition crowns but realistically, we're never going to own one. So what's the top three coins that us ordinary blokes might own?

Right up there in the top three were the classically themed Italian coins, particularly the ones with the chariot team. I just sold mine [sob] but one day I'll find another one.

That's really a matter of taste, that's the whole reason for voting, coins you find ugly other really love. Of course if it was up to me all 8 would be the coins that I entered

Quote: "pnightingale"​Strange how opinions differ.
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​I've been having a brief discussion with a few collectors. We all love Una and the Lion and Petition crowns but realistically, we're never going to own one. So what's the top three coins that us ordinary blokes might own?
​
​Right up there in the top three were the classically themed Italian coins, particularly the ones with the chariot team. I just sold mine [sob] but one day I'll find another one.

​I'm not sure what the top three is, but I'd personally put the Mercury dime somewhere quite close to the top. Maybe the Netherlands 1 cent sneaks up by being a lot more affordable.

Some of the Italian coins are nice, but they're quite hard to find (especially the silver), and let's be honest, the king's portrait on the other side isn't very pretty.

Quote: "January First-of-May"​

Quote: "pnightingale"​Strange how opinions differ.
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​​I've been having a brief discussion with a few collectors. We all love Una and the Lion and Petition crowns but realistically, we're never going to own one. So what's the top three coins that us ordinary blokes might own?
​​
​​Right up there in the top three were the classically themed Italian coins, particularly the ones with the chariot team. I just sold mine [sob] but one day I'll find another one.
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​

​​I'm not sure what the top three is, but I'd personally put the Mercury dime somewhere quite close to the top. Maybe the Netherlands 1 cent sneaks up by being a lot more affordable.
​
​Some of the Italian coins are nice, but they're quite hard to find (especially the silver), and let's be honest, the king's portrait on the other side isn't very pretty.

​He wasn't a pretty king! Have you ever seen that infamously ugly portrait on, I think, a German States coin? It's even a part of his title, like "Charles the Ugly" or something like that. Perhaps someone is familiar with the coin and can share a link?

It would be an interesting poll though and something to inspire newer collectors. I guess it's pretty depressing browsing coin catalogs and every time you find one you like, you notice the price tag is almost invariably in the tens of thousands of dollars. It might help retain their interest to know that there are entire series of coins with top class designs that can be completed on even the strictest budget. I just mailed off one of those Chilean 5 Peso coins with Liberty breaking her chains to a friend to pique her interest.

Mercury dimes and Indian head cents are the two reasons I still collect US coins. It would be interesting to see a top ten of those inexpensive (say under $10) tributes to the art of the engraver. I'd organise it but time is at a permium right now and Forum King Neil is busy with the MPCC, so if anyone else feels like giving it a try please do so.

How about this guy:



https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces29336.html

BUt he looks so innocent!

Quote: "nthn"​How about this guy:
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​https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces29336.html

​Nowhere near as ugly as this guy:



(I don't think we have this particular type on Numista yet, but it's similar to this one)

[BTW, both the coin you linked and the one linked in it are Innocent XI, not VIII. The IX on this coin and VIII on the other one appear to be regnal years. I've notified the referee.]

Quote: "January First-of-May"​BTW, both the coin you linked and the one linked in it are Innocent XI, not VIII. The IX on this coin and VIII on the other one appear to be regnal years. I've notified the referee.

​I don't know what you mean, the page already says Innocent XI. Where did you get the VIII?

Quote: "nthn"​

Quote: "January First-of-May"​BTW, both the coin you linked and the one linked in it are Innocent XI, not VIII. The IX on this coin and VIII on the other one appear to be regnal years. I've notified the referee.

​​I don't know what you mean, the page already says Innocent XI. Where did you get the VIII?

​It said VIII when I saw it, but, as mentioned, I've notified the referee (i.e. made a modification request), and they replied (validated the request, and thus fixed the error) ridiculously quickly (apparently within 9 minutes).
If you want I could probably PM you the text of the request...

EDIT: the page you linked to said XI, but there was a further link on it to another page, which incorrectly said VIII (until my request).
There was a minor error in listed lettering on your page as well, so I send a modification request for that one too (and it was also fixed within 9 minutes).

I am the referee with jokinen for Italian states.

Quote: "nthn"​I am the referee with jokinen for Italian states.

​I think that one was jokinen, sorry.

Quote: "nthn"​How about this guy:
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​https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces29336.html

​ Aye, with a face like that he might as well join the priesthood.

Quote: "pnightingale"​

Quote: "nthn"​How about this guy:
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​​https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces29336.html

​​ Aye, with a face like that he might as well join the priesthood.

​I don't know, you know what they say about a guy with a big nose.......

Well folks, now it's time to organise 'the least popular coin' contest. That would be fun indeed.

Quote: "druzhynets"​Well folks, now it's time to organise 'the least popular coin' contest. That would be fun indeed.

​Where would you like us to back up the dump truck load of Canadian Commemorative's?

It's not that I hate the design or anything...but my least favourite coins is this one...purely because it's so common that I always seem to find tons of them when I get bulk lots and it annoys the hell out of me.

Quote: "neilithic"​It's not that I hate the design or anything...but my least favourite coins is this one...purely because it's so common that I always seem to find tons of them when I get bulk lots and it annoys the hell out of me.
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​And where the hell are the good ones?! It is always so worn and discoloured.

Quote: "Peter M. Graham"​

Quote: "druzhynets"​Well folks, now it's time to organise 'the least popular coin' contest. That would be fun indeed.

​​Where would you like us to back up the dump truck load of Canadian Commemorative's?

​Next to the two dump truck loads of Niuean "commemoratives"?

Quote: "neilithic"​

Quote: "pnightingale"​
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Quote: "nthn"​How about this guy:
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​​​https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces29336.html

​​​ Aye, with a face like that he might as well join the priesthood.

​​I don't know, you know what they say about a guy with a big nose.......

​and chin.......

There were so many variants of coins entered that made it impossible to really pinpoint the "best". I was happy to have my Italian classed as a winner, but I know it is not a universal champion. It cannot be denied the relief is strong which popped the details, but the obverse really is fugly.

Quote: "Fluke"​

Quote: "neilithic"​
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Quote: "pnightingale"​
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Quote: "nthn"​How about this guy:
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​​​​https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces29336.html

​​​​ Aye, with a face like that he might as well join the priesthood.

​​​I don't know, you know what they say about a guy with a big nose.......

​​and chin.......
​
​There were so many variants of coins entered that made it impossible to really pinpoint the "best". I was happy to have my Italian classed as a winner, but I know it is not a universal champion. It cannot be denied the relief is strong which popped the details, but the obverse really is fugly.

​Let's be honest: the portrait on this particular coin wasn't that ugly. What made it ugly was the shadows, really (more on the reverse than the obverse).

I was probably thinking of something like this type when I said that the portrait was ugly.