Coin design

Americans who travel abroad encounter colorful, playful currencies. Ever wonder who comes with those designs and why?

A Dutch artist explains his design of a commemorative 5-Euro coin. The multiple layers of symbolism, and the use of modern media and concepts is simply amazing. As is the coin design itself (one face of the coin, required to have a potrait of Queen Beatrice, is made up of the names of Dutch architects, ordered by popularity).

This puts the extremely tradition-bound designs of our 50 state coins to shame. What an opportunity lost! And to think that 50 different opportunities were squandered!