Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Numismatics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Numismatics. Show all posts

Thursday, January 08, 2015

Military Payment Certificates and P38s

Military Payment Certificates and P38s

January 8, 2015 - March 6th, 2007


January 8, 2015 - March 6th, 2007

January 8, 2015 – The mother of a childhood classmate who died in Vietnam passed away just recently. I was looking through my files to refresh my memories of the events from about 45 years ago and came across this post down memory lane from 2007 – and I decided to re-post it. Enjoy….

March 6th, 2007 - I was actually researching, of all things, C-rations (the predecessor to MREs – Meals Ready to Eat) and the H-21 Shawnee (a tandem rotor flying banana helicopter 1949 - 1967,) when I came across this entry on military payment certificates.  I had not seen one of these in ages.

I also, on the same web site as I found the pictures of the MPCs, came across a picture of (what I remember being called in the Marines, 1971-1973, NOT deployed to Vietnam) a “church key.”  Is that correct or is my memory failing me in my old age?  It is a “P38” can opener.

For the young folks out there who are not familiar with MPCs or the P38 can opener – see the attached below.  It is from a web site titled, “Tall Comanche,” which appears to be a site for “Company C, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Calvary Division, Vietnam 1965 – 1972: http://www.tallcomanche.org/index.html

It is a pretty neat site – check it out…

The pictures of the MPCs and the can opener were found here:



It was illegal to carry American currency in Vietnam.  As soon as you arrived "in-country", you had to turn in your "greenbacks" for MPC.  Officially, the Vietnamese currency was the piaster, but there was little the MPC couldn't buy.  In order to keep the MPC from being the real currency, every few months everyone had to turn in their old MPC for new ones - and each series would be different from the others.  Of course, this caused a panic in the Vietnamese who had accepted MPC from GIs.  These samples are from 1969, and were contributed by Mike Hayes.



Okay - did you carry yours with your dog tags, or did you carry yours on a key chain?  For the uninitiated, this is a can opener - and its shown approximately actual size.  From Mike Hayes, April 1969 to May 1970.




*****

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Plenty of time to visit Westminster Coin Currency Show at Westminster Fire Hall


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Plenty of time to visit Westminster Coin Currency Show at Westminster Fire Hall

Originally posted untitled… LOL, this is what happens when operator head space error causes one to be too dumb to operate a smart phone

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Frederick News-Post: Gold coin dropped almost a week before Christmas

Frederick News-Post: Gold coin dropped almost a week before Christmas

Originally published in the Frederick News-Post on December 23, 2008

By
Stephanie Mlot News-Post Staff

Christmas came early this year for Frederick's Salvation Army.

The clink of the elusive South African gold Krugerrand coin was heard on Friday at the Wal-Mart on Md. 85.

The coin, valued at $900, has been a Frederick tradition for at least five years, said Maj. Raymond Pruitt, Salvation Army Corps officer.

"That's as far back as any of the staff remembers," he said.

Pruitt said the coin usually arrives the week of Christmas, though sometimes it gets dropped a little early.

Though no one knows who offers the coin each year, Pruitt said he thinks it's the same person.

"They don't want to be identified," he said. "We're perfectly happy to honor that wish."

Read the rest here: Frederick News-Post: Gold coin dropped almost a week before Christmas

20081223 FNP Gold coin dropped almost a week before Christmas

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=84328

Monday, October 01, 2007

20070925 New designs to commemorate Lincoln cent in 2009

New designs to commemorate Lincoln cent in 2009

The Kansas City Star is carrying an Associated Press article on the designs under consideration for a remake of the Lincoln cent in 2009. For numismatists and presidential history buffs – especially those who are particularly fascinated with President Abraham Lincoln; this is fun stuff.

Hat Tip: Don Surber.

The Associated Press

[…]

To commemorate the event (the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth and the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Lincoln cent,) the U.S. Mint, at the direction of Congress, will introduce four rotating designs on the 1-cent coin for that year depicting different aspects of Lincoln’s life.

Those designs will replace the engraving of the Lincoln Memorial on the “tails” side of the coin. The famous profile of the 16th president will remain on the “heads” side.

The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, which provides recommendations on such matters, met Tuesday and got into a lively debate over what those rotating images should be.

The panel chose a log cabin depicting where Lincoln was born in 1809 for the first image. Lincoln as a young man reading a book and taking notes with a quill pen was the panel’s choice for Lincoln’s early years, and Lincoln on the floor of the Illinois Legislature won out for the best design of Lincoln in early adulthood.

[…]

Read the entire article here: New designs to commemorate Lincoln cent in 2009

Thursday, July 12, 2007

20070712 Spain seizes ship in treasure row

Spain seizes ship in treasure row

July 12th, 2007

The Spanish Civil Guard has intercepted a boat operated by a US company amid a row over treasure from a shipwreck.

The guard had been ordered by a Spanish judge to seize the vessel as soon as it left the British colony of Gibraltar.

Gibraltar officials and Odyssey Marine Exploration, which owns the ship, said Spain had boarded the ship illegally as it was in international waters.

In May, Odyssey said it had found $500m (£253m) in coins from a 17th Century wreck somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

[…]

The salvaged booty, which included half a million silver coins and hundreds of gold objects, has already been flown back to the US.

[…]

Some experts believe the wreck to be the Merchant Royal, an English ship carrying stolen Spanish treasure which sank in 1641.

US coin expert Dr Lane Brunner has said there is evidence the shipwreck was found off England's Cornish coast.

Odyssey has kept the location of its find secret, citing security and legal reasons.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6896645.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6896645.stm

Published: 2007/07/12 21:46:57 GMT

© BBC MMVII

La Guardia Civil intercepta un buque oceanográfico de la empresa Odyssey

Provistos de un mandamiento judicial de entrada y registro, la interceptación ha tenido lugar a 3,5 millas al sur de...



Wednesday, May 09, 2007

20070513 Westminster Fire Hall Coin And Currency Show



WESTMINSTER FIRE HALL COIN and CURRENCY SHOW

May 13th, 2007 – posted May 8th, 2007

SHOW INFO:

DATES: May 13, 2007

NAME: WESTMINSTER FIRE HALL COIN and CURRENCY SHOW

LOCATION: Westminster Fire Hall – John Street Quarters

28 John Street

Westminster, Maryland 21157

HOURS: Open to public: 9:00 A. M. to 4:30 P. M.

CONCESSIONS: Open from 7:00 A. M. to 3:00 P. M.

PARKING: FREE

ADMISSION: FREE

CONTACT: Robert W. Ruby

365 Pleasanton Road, #-14

Westminster, MD 21157

410-848-8004

Bobruby AT qis.net

SPONSORED BY: Carl E. Ostiguy, Jr.

CEO COINS, CURRENCY and TREASURES

P. O. Box 92

Savage, MD 20763

Previously...20070213 Coin and Currency Show announcement:

Numismatics


Thursday, March 08, 2007

20070307 "Godless" Dollar Coins Slip Through Mint

CBS News is carrying an AP story about a printing mishap with the new dollar coins that is bound to spur a bonanza among numismatists. For a coin collector this is nirvana. For the mint, it is, well, not fun.

I have yet to see any of the new dollar coins in circulation, much less the miss-struck coins… Anyway the story reads:

Error Means Unknown Number Of New George Washington Dollars Missing "In God We Trust"

An unknown number of new George Washington dollar coins were struck without their edge inscriptions, including "In God We Trust," and made it past inspectors and into circulation, the U.S. Mint said. (AP/Prof. Coin Grading Service)

Fast Fact

The coin's design has already spurred e-mail conspiracy theories claiming that the religious motto was purposely omitted from the Washington dollars.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Mar. 7, 2007

(AP) An unknown number of new George Washington dollar coins were mistakenly struck without their edge inscriptions, including "In God We Trust," and made it past inspectors and into circulation, the U.S. Mint said Wednesday.

[…]

The Washington dollars are the first in a series of presidential coins slated to run until 2016. After Washington, the presidents to be honored on dollar coins this year will be John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

(Mint spokeswoman Becky) Bailey said the striking of the Adams coin, expected to roll out in mid-May, will proceed as planned.

Read the rest of the article here: "Godless" Dollar Coins Slip Through Mint

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

20070307 Military Payment Certificates and P38s

Military Payment Certificates and P38s

March 6th, 2007

I was actually researching, of all things, C-rations (the predecessor to MREs – Meals Ready to Eat) and the H-21 Shawnee (a tandem rotor flying banana helicopter 1949 - 1967,) when I came across this entry on military payment certificates. I had not seen one of these in ages.

Do they use Military Payments Certificates in Iraq?

I also, on the same web site as I found the pictures of the MPCs, came across a picture of (what I remember being called in the Marines, 1971-1973, NOT deployed to Vietnam) a “church key.” Is that correct or is my memory failing me in my old age? It is a “P38” can opener.

For the young folks out there who are not familiar with MPCs or the P38 can opener – see the attached below. It is from a web site titled, “Tall Comanche,” which appears to be a site for “Company C, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Calvary Division, Vietnam 1965 – 1972: http://www.tallcomanche.org/index.html

It is a pretty neat site – check it out…

The pictures of the MPCs and the can opener were found here:

http://www.tallcomanche.org/Stories_Things_Bits_and_Pieces.htm

MPC (Military Payment Certificate)

http://www.tallcomanche.org/Stories_Things_Bits_and_Pieces.htm#MPC

It was illegal to carry American currency in Vietnam. As soon as you arrived "in-country", you had to turn in your "greenbacks" for MPC. Officially, the Vietnamese currency was the piaster, but there was little the MPC couldn't buy. In order to keep the MPC from being the real currency, every few months everyone had to turn in their old MPC for new ones - and each series would be different from the others. Of course, this caused a panic in the Vietnamese who had accepted MPC from GIs. These samples are from 1969, and were contributed by Mike Hayes.

P38 Can Opener

http://www.tallcomanche.org/Stories_Things_Bits_and_Pieces.htm#P38

Okay - did you carry yours with your dog tags, or did you carry yours on a key chain? For the uninitiated, this is a can opener - and its shown approximately actual size. From Mike Hayes, April 1969 to May 1970.

####

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

20070213 Coin and Currency Show announcement:


Coin and Currency Show

At the

Westminster Fire Hall

John Street Quarters

28 John Street, Westminster, MD

2007

May 13th October 14th

Open: 9:00 AM to 4:30

FREE ADMISSION FREE PARKING

Sponsored By:

CARL E. OSTIGUY, JR

CEO COINS, CURRENCY

and TREASURES

P. O. BOX 92, Savage, Maryland 20763

443-623-7025

E-MAIL: ceocoins(at)comcast.net

www.coinbrowser.com/show-westminster.html

www.coinshows.com/westminster_co.html

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

20070107 For Lester White old coins are priceless

For Lester White old coins are priceless

January 16th, 2007

I had missed this story and just found it.

Cassandra A. Fortin has a story in the January 7, 2007 edition of the Baltimore Sun, about local Westminster merchant Lester White and his coin shop:

For dealer, old coins are priceless

Westminster's Lester White cherishes the stories behind the money

Mr. White is a real asset to historic downtown Westminster. Entering his shop and talking with Mr. White is a sheer delight – but then again I am also a numismatist and share his passion for coins.

“…White, now 72, has become well known among collectors and their children. The Westminster numismatist - a person who studies coins, tokens, medals or paper money - opened White's Emporium in 1987, now a coin shop on Main Street.”

[…]

Then he opened White's Emporium, which started as an antique and coin shop. Later he closed the antique portion of the business to focus on coins. He bought unique coins, rather than rare ones, to sell, he said.

"I don't seek out the expensive coins," said White, who has been active in as many as eight coin clubs around the country. Instead, he looks for coins that tell a story.

[…]

Most of White's teaching takes place when patrons visit the shop looking for a coin. He works with the adult and younger customers, said Robert Ruby, the president of the Carroll County Coin Club.

[…]

His generosity is second only to his desire to introduce people to the stories behind the coins. He said he starts by helping the budding numismatists understand the stages of collecting.

Read the rest of the article here.

Westminster has quite a few merchants like Mr. White – different passions and different merchandise – same town, same sense of community.

We need more stories like this – and we can use more merchants and shops like this in downtown Westminster. It is what we do best.

Meanwhile, next chance you get - visit Westminster, visit our shops and enjoy one of our many great restaurants.

Kevin

####

Friday, January 12, 2007

20070111 Spy Coins


Spy Coins

January 11, 2007

This photo released by the Central Intelligence Agency shows a hollow container, fashioned to look like an Eisenhower silver dollar.

“Pentagon Warns Contractors About 'Canadian' Spy Coins”

I have been a coin collector every since I was a small boy and was fascinated with the standing liberty quarters that Mom would give me for my lunch money.

OMG, what I wouldn’t give to have a bunch of those quarters.

Yes folks, can we talk? Come a little closer and I’ll confide with you that I am a rabid “numismatist.”

Usually any news story about coins easily catches my eye. But the following story had a turn and twist in it that I thought was worth sharing.

In an interesting story I found on the Fox News web site, apparently, the United States government has issued a warning in which it described “a new espionage threat: Canadian coins with tiny radio frequency transmitters hidden inside.”

“The government said the mysterious coins were found planted on U.S. contractors with classified security clearances on at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006 as the contractors traveled through Canada.

“Intelligence and technology experts said such transmitters, if they exist, could be used to surreptitiously track the movements of people carrying the spy coins.”

Read the rest of the story here.

I’m guessing that I really don’t want any of these coins in my pocket while traveling in the future. However, I think it would be fun to have one in my collection.

Kevin

####

20070111 Spy Coins


Spy Coins

January 11, 2007

This photo released by the Central Intelligence Agency shows a hollow container, fashioned to look like an Eisenhower silver dollar.

“Pentagon Warns Contractors About 'Canadian' Spy Coins”

I have been a coin collector every since I was a small boy and was fascinated with the standing liberty quarters that Mom would give me for my lunch money.

OMG, what I wouldn’t give to have a bunch of those quarters.

Yes folks, can we talk? Come a little closer and I’ll confide with you that I am a rabid “numismatist.”

Usually any news story about coins easily catches my eye. But the following story had a turn and twist in it that I thought was worth sharing.

In an interesting story I found on the Fox News web site, apparently, the United States government has issued a warning in which it described “a new espionage threat: Canadian coins with tiny radio frequency transmitters hidden inside.”

“The government said the mysterious coins were found planted on U.S. contractors with classified security clearances on at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006 as the contractors traveled through Canada.

“Intelligence and technology experts said such transmitters, if they exist, could be used to surreptitiously track the movements of people carrying the spy coins.”

Read the rest of the story here.

I’m guessing that I really don’t want any of these coins in my pocket while traveling in the future. However, I think it would be fun to have one in my collection.

Kevin

####

Friday, September 29, 2006

20060927 Public Law 109-285: Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act

Public Law 109 285 Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act

Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act

Public Law 109–285

Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act. 31 USC 5112 note.

Sept. 27, 2006 [H.R. 2808]

109th Congress

An Act

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the

bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act’’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds as follows:

(1) Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, was one of the Nation’s greatest leaders, demonstrating true courage during the Civil War, one of the greatest crises in the Nation’s history.

(2) Born of humble roots in present-day LaRue County, Kentucky, on February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln rose to the Presidency through a combination of honesty, integrity, intelligence, and commitment to the United States.

(3) With the belief that all men were created equal, Abraham Lincoln led the effort to free all slaves in the United States.

(4) Abraham Lincoln had a generous heart, with malice toward none and with charity for all.

(5) Abraham Lincoln gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country, dying from an assassin’s bullet on April 15, 1865.

(6) The year 2009 will be the bicentennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

(7) The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission has been charged by Congress with planning the celebration of Lincoln’s bicentennial.

(8) The proceeds from a commemorative coin will help fund the celebration and the continued study of the life of Lincoln.

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

(a) $1 SILVER COINS.—The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins, which shall—

(1) weigh 26.73 grams;

(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and

(3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.

(b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.

(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—All coins minted under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.

(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln.

(2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin minted under this Act there shall be—

(A) a designation of the value of the coin;

(B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2009’’; and

(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of America’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’.

(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted under this Act shall be—

(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission; and

(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.

(b) MINT FACILITY.—Only 1 facility of the United States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted under this Act.

(c) PERIOD FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue coins minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1, 2009.

SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.

(a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this Act shall be sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of—

(1) the face value of the coins;

(2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to such coins; and

(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping).

(b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.

(c) PREPAID ORDERS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such coins.

(2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.

SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.

(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins issued under this Act shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin.

(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f)(1), title 31, United States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission to further the work of the Commission.

(c) AUDITS.—The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission shall be subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code.

(d) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), no surcharge may be included with respect to the issuance under this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as of the time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin would result in the number of commemorative coin programs issued during such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative coin program issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31, United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out this subsection.

Approved September 27, 2006.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2808 (S. 811):

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 152 (2006):

Sept. 6, considered and passed House.

Sept. 8, considered and passed Senate.

VerDate 14-DEC-2004 22:11 Oct 02, 2006 Jkt 059139 PO 00285 Frm 00001 Fmt 6580 Sfmt 6581 E:\PUBLAW\PUBL285.109 APPS24 PsN: PUBL285

120 STAT. 1216 PUBLIC LAW 109–285—SEPT. 27, 2006

Friday, July 14, 2006

20060712 US Mint: The History of Presidents on Our Coins

US Mint: The History of Presidents on Our Coins

For both coin collectors and folks avidly interested in presidential history, the “Nuggets from the Vault” section of The United States Mint has penned an informative “History of Presidents on Our Coins.”

The United States Mint: Nuggets from the Vault

The History of Presidents on Our Coins

July 12, 2006

In 2009, the United States Mint will join the nation in celebrating the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Our 16th President was a man who, in a time of great division, remained wholly dedicated to the preservation of the Union. In 1909 he became the first American President to be featured on a circulating coin when Theodore Roosevelt and the United States Treasury Department decided to celebrate his 100th birthday by redesigning the one-cent coin.

The decision to change the design of the 1909 penny was reported in the Annual Report of the Director of the Mint without any explanation of the reasons why the Agency was abandoning more than 115 years of tradition by placing the image of a President on a circulating coin. Researchers and numismatists appear to agree that Theodore Roosevelt’s earlier discussions with sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens may also have included the topic of honoring Lincoln, but the artist’s death in 1907 ended the possibility of a Saint-Gaudens designed coin commemorating the birth of our 16th president.

For more than a century after the founding of our nation, American Presidents led this new Republic, with its system of self-government untested and unmatched in all the world, through a period of rapid growth and development that included massive industrial advancement, one of the most devastating civil wars in all of human history and the conquest of the skies on the sandy dunes of North Carolina. In the context of a lifetime, this first American century could accurately be described as a very active childhood.

The success or failure of what George Washington himself dubbed “this great experiment” depended on our ability to steer clear of the obstacles and pitfalls which, over time, may have contributed to the downfall and ultimate collapse of other civilizations once deemed great.

Like our representative government itself, the images chosen to appear on American coins were another statement of difference between the system against which American colonists rebelled and the government for which American citizens would work. England was just one in a long line of civilizations that routinely paid tribute to their current sovereign by engraving his or her portrait onto the coins of the realm. That tradition extended back to the very beginning of coins as medium of exchange. Emperors and kings have always been so honored.

It is reasonable to suggest that it was a belief in unrestricted opportunity as an American birthright that helped guide the Congress in the creation of many of the federal institutions charged with governing the new nation, including the United States Mint, whose chief purpose was the coining of American money. With respect to the images that would be featured on American coins, the Mint Act of 1792 specifically states “…there shall be the following devices and legends, namely: Upon one side of each of the said coins there shall be an impression emblematic of liberty…” The elected representatives knew that they could more effectively strengthen the democratic principles on which the nation was formed by stamping coins with designs of Liberty rather than an image of President George Washington.

In executing the blueprint of our nation’s democracy, one of the masterstrokes of the founding fathers was their understanding of the universal appeal and importance of ideals to the average citizen. In a time of obvious inequality and institutionalized slavery Thomas Jefferson’s simple declaration that “all men are created equal” was more likely meant to convey an understanding by our leaders that this new government was not a constitutional monarchy; that a man from humble beginnings could rise to hold the nation’s highest office, a story made real by the emergence of a self-educated lawyer from the American heartland, Abraham Lincoln.

As decades passed and the American experiment continued to gain legitimacy through its continued growth and prosperity, honoring the vision of the nation’s founders and great leaders became an important and, some would say, necessary public discussion. More so, it was already being done. From great portraits and statues honoring battlefield accomplishments to important volumes of the nation’s early history, men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant were being written and molded into the fabric and folklore of the country.

Interestingly, when President Theodore Roosevelt began to discuss invigorating American coin design with the world-renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, it was Roosevelt’s desire to bring elements of classically influenced sculpture that eventually resulted in both Saint-Gaudens’ Liberty, and Adolph A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty. Each of these designs was used for a time on circulating coins, yet both would be retired before the 20th Century was half over.

Although the collaboration with Saint-Gaudens resulted in some of the country’s most beloved numismatic designs, the gifted sculptor was often frustrated by what he believed to be excessive and unnecessary bureaucracy in his dealings with both the Treasury Department and the United States Mint. This can be seen in letters between the Mint Director and the artist dated 1894, when Saint-Gaudens was working to design a medal for the Chicago World’s Fair. Saint-Gaudens’ first priority was sculpture, and he struggled with concerns dealing with the coinability of his designs.

Unlike Saint-Gaudens, the sculptor Victor David Brenner was dedicated to furthering the ties between sculpture artists and numismatics. Towards the end of the 19th Century he served as an instructor at New York’s School for Die-Cutting and was listed as member #434 in the American Numismatic Association. His 1907 plaque of Abraham Lincoln caught the eye of President Roosevelt, who wished to see it used on American circulating coinage.

It remains unclear as to precisely how and when the decision was reached to use Brenner’s portrait of Lincoln on the one-cent coin. The Numismatist reported in its January 1909 issue, that “It is probable that the half dollar piece will be selected as the principal coin to bear the Lincoln head…” United States Mint Director Frank Leach reportedly dismissed the story as premature. Following the revelation that Lincoln would be featured on a new cent, subsequent issues of the magazine reported on developments surrounding the new coin and in July 1909, reported that more than 22 million new Lincoln cents hade been coined in Philadelphia. They were officially released on August 2, 1909.

The public response to the new one-cent coin was, predictably, mixed. While many Americans embraced the new design, there was no doubt a significant number who opposed the change. Considering that a large number of Civil War veterans were still living in 1909, those who had fought for and wore the uniform of the Confederacy may have found it difficult, if not impossible, to carry the image of Lincoln, the man responsible for vanquishing their secessionist dreams, in their pockets.

It would be twenty-three more years before another former President would join Lincoln on the face of America’s circulating coins. In preparation for the 1932 bicentennial of George Washington’s birth, the Treasury Department and the George Washington Bicentennial Commission suggested a competition to honor our first President on both a coin and a medal.

Official rules were released to the public early in 1932, and participants were instructed to model their designs on the bust of Washington created from a life mask by noted sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon.

The work of accomplished sculptor Laura Gardin Fraser, whose husband James had designed the Indian Head (sometimes called the Buffalo) nickel, was chosen for the Washington Bicentennial Medal. For the Washington circulating coin, Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon chose the work of New York sculptor John Flanagan, whose portrait of Washington in profile still graces the obverse of the quarter today. Laura Fraser also created a design for the circulating coin, but it was not chosen by Treasury officials for that purpose. The design she submitted for the coin can be found on the United States Mint’s commemorative 1999 George Washington Death Bicentennial Gold Five-Dollar Coin.

The practice of placing American Presidents on circulating coins continued in 1938, when the United States Treasury Department announced a public competition to solicit designs to replace those featured on the obverse and reverse of the 5-cent coin that year. The rules of the competition specified that the new nickel’s obverse must feature an authentic portrait of Thomas Jefferson and that the coin’s reverse would recognize Monticello, his historic home near Charlottesville, Virginia.

After 390 sets of models were submitted by some of the country’s most accomplished artists and sculptors, the designs of German-American sculptor Felix Schlag were selected, earning him the advertised $1,000 prize in April 1938. The portrait he submitted, the familiar left-facing profile of Thomas Jefferson, was based on a bust by sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon and featured Jefferson dressed in a period coat and wearing a traditional 18th Century peruke wig.

The Jefferson nickel remained unchanged for 66 years, until the release of the first coins of the Westward Journey Nickel Series in 2004.

As the 1930s came to a close, Presidential portraits had replaced traditional Liberty-themed images on three of the Nation’s five most common coins; the penny, the nickel and the quarter. When American soldiers went overseas in the early 1940s, they still carried with them half-dollars that featured Walking Liberty, and ten-cent pieces that bore a bust of Liberty in a winged cap, often referred to as the Mercury dime. Both of these classic designs are the work of Saint-Gaudens’ protégé, Adolph A. Weinman.

Shortly after the end of WWII, one of these designs would be retired to honor the man who led the United States longer than any other, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Elected to an unprecedented four terms as America’s Commander in Chief, FDR had battled polio since contracting the disease in 1921, a fight that ultimately claimed victory over the great man in April, 1945. Two factors that contributed to Roosevelt being honored on the ten-cent coin were his strong support for the March of Dimes and the fact that the winged Liberty design had been in use since 1916, a period of 29 years, thus obviating the need for new legislation to make the change.

Liberty, as a design, was removed from the obverse of the last circulating coin in 1948, though for the first time the place of honor did not pass to a former American President. The release of the 1948 Benjamin Franklin half-dollar did not coincide with a noteworthy anniversary, but was rather a project driven by the desire of long-time Director of the United States Mint Nellie Tayloe Ross to see two iconic American images – Benjamin Franklin and the Liberty Bell – so honored. Again, the long run enjoyed by Weinman’s Walking Liberty, 31 years, from 1916 to 1947, meant that a change could be made without requiring special legislation from the Congress.

Following the release of the Franklin half-dollars, the country enjoyed a period of relative calm, at least as far as circulating coin design was concerned. The only change made to circulating coinage in the 1950s was to the reverse of the Lincoln cent, as an image of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC replaced the 50-year old “Wheat Ears” design.

Everything changed on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on the streets of Dallas, Texas. A decision was quickly made to honor the nation’s fallen leader by replacing the image of Franklin on the United States half-dollar. The change didn’t have to come from Congress; President Lyndon Johnson issued an Executive Order directing the United States Mint to make the change.

The process begun in 1909 was complete in 1964, when American Presidents were featured on every regular issue circulating coin; Abraham Lincoln on the cent, Thomas Jefferson on the nickel, Franklin Roosevelt on the dime, George Washington on the quarter-dollar and John F. Kennedy on the half-dollar.

One final addition to this group would be made in 1971, when United States Mint Director Eva Adams presented Richard Nixon and Mamie Eisenhower with the first new one dollar coins issued by the United States since the Coinage Act of 1965 ordered a five-year moratorium on the coins. The issuance of the Eisenhower dollar followed the tradition established by the Roosevelt dime and Kennedy half-dollar, that of honoring the life and work of recently deceased Presidents on circulating coins.

In 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Presidential $1 Coin Act, ensuring an extension of this great tradition by at least 10 years – 10 very busy years that will see the striking and release of four new dollar coins each year, honoring the service of all of the United States Presidents in the order in which they served.

While our country moved steadily towards honoring presidents on the face of our coins, our connection to Liberty, one of just two images named by the founders for use on our earliest coins, remains as strong as ever. The image each of these new Presidential $1 Coins will share is a rendition of sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi’s Lady Liberty, who has stood as a welcoming beacon of freedom in New York harbor for more than 125 years. She is the perfect symbol to complement a series of newly-created Presidential portraits, and her inspiring presence brings full circle the story of great American coin design.

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