We’ve all had that moment where an ambitious art project looked great in our heads, but somewhere between vision and execution, it fell apart. It happens. The important part is acknowledging that, and ideally, taking corrective action. If only the U.S. Mint had that self-awareness.
This week, they revealed a new commemorative Steve Jobs coin—honouring the founder of Apple—set to launch in 2026 as part of their American innovators series. The coin is meant to celebrate Jobs’ legacy as a tech pioneer who redefined technology as we know it. And in spirit, it’s a beautiful tribute.
According to the Mint’s press release, the coin “presents a young Steve Jobs sitting in front of a quintessentially Northern California landscape of oak-covered rolling hills” to reflect how his environment inspired his vision.
It’s poetic. It’s thoughtful. It’s sentimental.
But then… you look at the coin and it looks like someone tried to draw him from memory, and a bad memory at that. Let’s just say, if the coin is meant to immortalize Jobs, they might have wanted to spend more time on his facial features than on detailing the trees behind him. He sits in that meadow looking like a cross between Ellen DeGeneres and Princess Diana, and stares directly into your soul.
To make matters worse (or funnier, depending on how you look at it), the coin is inscribed with the words: “Make something wonderful.” A nod to Jobs’ creative philosophy, sure—but also, in this context, a bit ironic.
On the bright side, if the goal was to make it memorable, well—mission accomplished. Maybe not in the way they intended, but I’m pretty sure people are going to remember this borderline creepy, Steve Jobs coin for a long time.
