# New Nickel Design Released **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 16, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696 "2004-09-16T15:12:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JimSox5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@JimSox5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimSox5)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696/21 "2004-09-17T00:24:01Z")
I just got into my change jar and checked all the coins. . .they do already all say Liberty on them. Just an update. As for my opinion on the new nickel, it’s not bad, but I still like the old one better. I’d rather they finish redesigning all the bills first. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696/22 "2004-09-17T00:35:43Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > Well, **Munch** , get to hatin’ some more, because I like it! I like the new off-center portrait idea, I like the “Liberty” in script, I like the idea of the different reverses, although I’ll admit I like the buffalo much better than the merit-badge-looking shoreline. All in all, a good change (ha! back to you). 🙂 Hey. Whoa there! Now, don’t get me wrong. I love the new “Liberty” script. I’m a gigantic fan of the buffalo (in fact, I think more of our currency should feature the tatanka). And while Monticello remains a hallmark of money-centric architecture, I really don’t mind slapping a shoreline on there. It’s just that the portrait looks like Peter Gammons before they resurrect him the day before Spring Training starts. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696/23 "2004-09-17T00:48:39Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > It’s just that the portrait looks like Peter Gammons before they resurrect him the day before Spring Training starts. Well, it’s hard to tell from the mock-ups sometimes just what a coin will look like. [Here](http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?action=photo#2004NickelSeries) is artwork from the actual U.S. Mint site. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696/24 "2004-09-16T22:07:52Z")
> [@rjk](#): > > . . . it seems to me that he’s looking up at the “God” in the motto. Is this violating the separation of church and state? 😛 Thomas Jefferson was a strict separation-of-church-and-state advocate; it _does_ look like he is giving the hairy eyeball to the huge “In God We Trust” floating menacingly in front of him. The back view should show him spinning in his grave. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696/25 "2004-09-16T22:27:53Z")
What’s with the nose? Eek. And the font used for the “Liberty” looks like it should be proclaiming the name of a school portrait studio. But I’m still busy being outraged at our new Margaritaville-colored money. Why can’t we have cool-looking money like Swiss francs? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696/26 "2004-09-17T02:03:06Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > Well, it’s hard to tell from the mock-ups sometimes just what a coin will look like. [Here](http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?action=photo#2004NickelSeries) is artwork from the actual U.S. Mint site. Hmmmm. I have the keelboat and Louisiana Purchase, but I don’t have the buffalo or coastline yet. I better keep my eyes open for them. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696/27 "2004-09-17T02:54:22Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > This all misses the big question, which is: Why bother redesigning the freakin’ nickle? Why not the half-penny? Both are about as useful. I’ll tell you why: Money. See the mint has made a fortune off the new quarters, because they sell them to the Federal Reserve Bank for less than they cost to produce, and since many folks have been hoarding the state quarters, the mint’s had to crank out a lot more of them, so they figure that if they can make a profit off the quarters, why not try the nickel? **Aesiron** , they’ll be putting Montecello back on the nickels after they’re done celebrating the Lousiana Purchase. That’s one of the reasons why it took so long for the first nickels to come out, Virginia wanted to make sure that one of their largest tourist attractions was back to being advertised on the nickel before they’d agree to the change. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696/28 "2004-09-17T03:11:26Z")
OK Call me a prude (Hi, Prude!) but do we really have to have an anatomically correct bison? I really don’t need to see a hairy underhanging every time I get change. And I swear I can see clear up TJ sinus passages. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696/29 "2004-09-17T03:32:43Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > Well, it’s hard to tell from the mock-ups sometimes just what a coin will look like. [Here](http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?action=photo#2004NickelSeries) is artwork from the actual U.S. Mint site. Wow - the portrait is much better in the official artwork, thankfully. I really like the ocean reverse, even with the “Ocean in view! O! The Joy!” deal. Sounds like the beginning of a Seuss rhyme. I don’t much care for the bison. I’m indifferent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-nickel-design-released/264696.md?page=1)