Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Spiritinthesky]

John Lennon could be immortalised forever on a commemorative coin if he takes the lead in a groundbreaking poll.

For the first time in its 1,100-year history, the Royal Mint is asking the public to decide who should be commemorated on the next coin in its Great Britons collectable series, alongside Shakespeare, Churchill, Charles Darwin, Florence Nightingale and Sir Isaac Newton.

Everybody please vote for John.

Vote online before July 31, at http://www.royalmint.com/Annex/GreatBritonsVote.aspx?promcode=FS4A

From http://www.thisdayinmusic.com

[Jai Guru Deva.]

Voted.  Although if I ever saw John on my money, I'd struggle spending it. 

xxx

[cubanheel]

Hmmm, stiff competition.

[emmi_luvs_beatles]

I have now placed my opinion in this poll. I voted John, of course. But I'm american, how am I supposed to get a british coin? Ah, well.

[tkitna]

I couldnt vote for him. The others are more deserving.

[peregrine9]

I just voted for John.

[Joost]

I couldnt vote for him. The others are more deserving.

I partially agree with you. From an objective point of view, it could be argued that what some of these people (not all of them, in my opinion) did for Great Britian was more important than what John did. On the other hand, it would be a safe bet to say that nowadays, John is easily the most appealing and recognizable one of these six people and that's worth something too.

I did vote for John Lennon. Because if we start honoring pop music's legends in the same manner that we honor history's great poets, composers, writers, painters, explorers and inventors, it in a way would formally acknowledge pop music as a serious art form, which I believe it is, and deserves to be. It sure has been the most popular art form for the last 5+ decades.

[tkitna]

I partially agree with you. From an objective point of view, it could be argued that what some of these people (not all of them, in my opinion) did for Great Britian was more important than what John did. On the other hand, it would be a safe bet to say that nowadays, John is easily the most appealing and recognizable one of these six people and that's worth something too.

I did vote for John Lennon. Because if we start honoring pop music's legends in the same manner that we honor history's great poets, composers, writers, painters, explorers and inventors, it in a way would formally acknowledge pop music as a serious art form, which I believe it is, and deserves to be. It sure has been the most popular art form for the last 5+ decades.

Jane Austen was a writier and only person that might be as irrelevant as John on this matter in my opinion. The rest were inventors, soldiers, poets, explorers, and political activists. I dont know, its just my opinion I suppose, but in the big picture to me, John was only a guitar player who sang songs. To each their own I suppose.

[Joost]

Jane Austen was a writier and only person that might be as irrelevant as John on this matter in my opinion. The rest were inventors, soldiers, poets, explorers, and political activists. I dont know, its just my opinion I suppose, but in the big picture to me, John was only a guitar player who sang songs. To each their own I suppose.

If John was only a guitar player who sang songs, then wasn't Shakespeare just a writer who wrote plays and poems, and Rembrandt just a painter who made portraits? I don't want to overstate John's importance, but it's a fact that he was partially responsible for shaping pop music as we know it.

Obviously all the "Great Britons" in the list were heroes in their own right, but I personally wouldn't vote for anyone who's claim to fame was popularizing tobacco (Raleigh) or, even though I realize he was just doing his job which at the time was very necessary, killing a whole lot of Germans (Bader).

[cubanheel]

As far as I can see, he's up against Emmeline Pankhurst. Speaking as a British female of voting age, I feel very strongly that she has had a greater positive effect on my life than John Lennon, despite the fact that the Beatles have been a part of my emotional, musical and imaginative life for over 30 years. Jane Austin is not my personal cup of tea, but she quite bravely held a mirror up to the society of her time, I think in that kind of artistic bravery she has more in common with John. Logie Baird was fairly important too.

[tkitna]

Obviously all the "Great Britons" in the list were heroes in their own right, but I personally wouldn't vote for anyone who's claim to fame was popularizing tobacco (Raleigh) or, even though I realize he was just doing his job which at the time was very necessary, killing a whole lot of Germans (Bader).

You wouldnt vote for a man who put his life on the line for the benefit of your country, but you have no problem voting for a guy who sang pop tunes for a living? I dont know what to say.

[Joost]

You wouldnt vote for a man who put his life on the line for the benefit of your country, but you have no problem voting for a guy who sang pop tunes for a living? I dont know what to say.

I know that John never came anywhere near to doing something as brave and selfless as what Bader did. They're heroes on entirely different levels. It's just that if you'd ask me to pick a hero, I'd just feel more comfortable picking something who is remembered for spreading joy than someone who is remembered for stepping up to do the necessary evil. I do realize though that, in a way, that's criminally unfair.

[Joost]

Coincidentally, a friend and me are currently in the preparing stages of writing a book about the lives of seven allied airmen who died in The Netherlands during the Second World War. These were incredibly brave people who made the ultimate selfless sacrifice. I think they deserve to have their stories told and preserved for future generations. So I most certainly believe that they deserve credit. I however have very mixed feelings about celebrating the dirty work they had to do as anything heroic. It was necessary evil. They were forced to kill people who were someone's son, father, husband, friend, brother... No matter how courageous and necessary it was what they did, I have a hard time seeing it as something positive. Instead of celebrating what they did, we should be thankful to them but mourn the fact that they had to do it.

I know this is a touchy subject and I think it's hard to explain where I'm coming from, but I hope this makes any sense...

[nyfan(41)]

are these coins just for collecting or are they for spending or are they legal tender that no one would spend? like an investment
-
doesn't money normally depict government related people . . . because it's the legal tender of a nation's government. a business !
-
-
and why would john lennon want his face on british government currency? wasn't he mr. imagine there's no money who gave back his mbe and fought to live in new york?
it just seems contrary to me. like if the army decided to put van gogh on their rifles (<extreme example)
-
-
what's the real story? is this just the niche hobbiest group of coin collectors trying to invent their next valuable - - is it someone in government trying to 'be hip' ?
-
just my one don't-care-much-opinion ................................. rock stars on stamps - yes  / rock stars on money - no    . . . . wait, let me adjust that . . artists on money - no 
.
.
(but of course i'm routing for him to win now that he's in the running, lol)

[nyfan(41)]

 
hey, i need bus fare - -can anyone make change for a lennon? . . you got five peter torks and a hendrix? . . 

[tkitna]

Coincidentally, a friend and me are currently in the preparing stages of writing a book about the lives of seven allied airmen who died in The Netherlands during the Second World War. These were incredibly brave people who made the ultimate selfless sacrifice. I think they deserve to have their stories told and preserved for future generations. So I most certainly believe that they deserve credit.

Sounds interesting. Keep us posted on the status. I'd like to read it.

I however have very mixed feelings about celebrating the dirty work they had to do as anything heroic. It was necessary evil. They were forced to kill people who were someone's son, father, husband, friend, brother... No matter how courageous and necessary it was what they did, I have a hard time seeing it as something positive. Instead of celebrating what they did, we should be thankful to them but mourn the fact that they had to do it.

Totally agree with you here. Its a horrific thing that many had to do and I thank God that I was never in those shoes, but I also thank those that did have to fight the fight so that I didnt have to. 

I know this is a touchy subject and I think it's hard to explain where I'm coming from, but I hope this makes any sense...

I understand. Hope you see my side too.

[Joost]

Sounds interesting. Keep us posted on the status. I'd like to read it.

Yeah, I'm pretty excited about this project. The drummer of my band has always had a bit of an obsession with WW II. During operation Market Garden, seven allied airplanes crashed down in and near the town where he lives. The last few years he's been doing a lot of research to find out who the guys in those planes were. Obviously he never intended to keep all the information and stories he collected to himself, but he's always been mostly a researcher and not much of a writer. So I recently offered him to do the writing. Really looking forward to doing this, cause these are people who have been forgotten by pretty much everyone except for their families and I think it's really cool that we can maybe let some people know who these guys were. I'd love to let you read the book when it's done, but unfortionately it'll be in Dutch...

[tkitna]

I'd love to let you read the book when it's done, but unfortionately it'll be in Dutch...

Thats going to make it tough. 

[Euan Buchan]

I voted hes already on a note lol I saw one in Florida but I got The Beatles one