I think they're beautiful, especially what they represent to the four non-profits that collaborated to get this extremely rare legislation passed. To honor Mark Twain in any fashion is a good thing, and to further honor him by generating badly needed revenue when donations are becoming fewer and fewer is especially important. Many artists submitted their work, all based on photos of SLC - many in which he is smoking a pipe just like the one pictured on the silver dollar. "In God We Trust" is required on all legal tender, regardless of the views of the individual being honored on the coin. Whether you love the look or hate the look, I implore all on this forum to recognize the good this does to keep our hero in the spotlight and provide badly needed support for four important entities that do all they can to preserve his legacy. Knee-jerk reaction over. This was a long, hard slog to victory, and I hope everyone on the forum buys a coin for some lucky grandchild somewhere. Cindy Lovell ________________________________________ From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Peter Salwen <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2016 3:53 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: "Mark Twain" coins Aahh, those coins, at last. Fully up to (extremely low) expectations. Hideous portraits that seem to have employed a very poor (if rugged) Twain impersonator as the model, with the silver coin showing this compulsive *cigar* smoker with a *pipe* (more artistic," I guess). And, of course, the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" in great big letters. Anybody here remember what Twain had to say about that motto? From the notebooks: "It is simple, direct, gracefully phrased; it always sounds well -- In God We Trust. I don=C2=B4t believe it would sound any better if it were true." And, "The motto stated a lie. If this nation has ever trusted in God, that time has gone by; for nearly half a century almost its entire trust has been in the Republican party and the dollar -- mainly the dollar." Just musing . . . . *_________________________________* *Peter Salwen /* salwen.com *114 W 86, NYC 10024 | 917-620-5371*