Hasta La Ideas

Generally speaking, unless you’re a coin collector, you probably hate the cursed American penny. Most of the time it seems worthless and you likely don’t even stop to pick up fallen ones on the street anymore. At the same time, who doesn’t love a good coin redesign? So we’re now going to essentially stick you on a roller-coaster of emotions by telling you that the US Mint has unveiled their new 2010 Lincoln “Preservation of the Union” One-Cent Coin, which “Americans can expect to see…in their change beginning this year.” The front of the coin (heads) looks about the same, but the reverse (tails) is a nifty recreation of the “union shield” which first appeared during the Civil War. Here’s a bit:

The reverse of the 2010 and beyond Lincoln cent was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Associate Designer Lyndall Bass and executed by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna. The design depicts a union shield with a scroll draped across and the inscription ‘One Cent.’ The 13 vertical stripes of the shield represent the states joined in one compact union to support the federal government, represented by the horizontal bar above. The horizontal bar features the inscription E Pluribus Unum — “out of many, one” — while the inscription ‘United States of America’ is depicted along the upper rim of the coin.

Somewhat related, in that they’re both shiny and round, Architectural Record has a story up about the new Olympic medals currently being awarded in Vancouver, which were designed by Omer Arbel. Just thought we’d throw that in there, should you be wanting more metallic design news.

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