Renaissance of American Coinage, 1909-1915continues the saga of the creation of new, artistic designs for circulating coinage of the United States. Theodore Roosevelt, near the end of his term as President entrusted medalist Victor Brenner with design of the one cent coin, leading to the first circulating coin featuring the portrait of an individual. This was followed four years later by the Buffalo nickel, possibly the most widely known design of any coin. The 1909-1915 period also featured a series of four spectacular commemorative coins including the firs $50 gold coin struck by a U.S. Mint.
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Renaissance of American Coinage, 1909-1915 begins with Theodore Roosevelt in August 1908, now a lame duck President, as he decides to have medalist Victor David Brenner adapt his Lincoln medal design for use on the one cent coin. As Brenner repeatedly attempts to add more coin designs to his commission, Mint Director Frank Leach keeps things focused on the cent. Finally, he gives up on the artist and has mint engraver Charles Barber make the last modifications to the new design including replacing the artist s name with his initials, V. D. B. on the reverse. By the time the new cent was released to the public the Taft Administration was in charge. Its inexperienced officials, over reacting to newspaper comments, removed Brenner s initials and precipitate confusion that lasts to this day.
While the issuance of new designs retreated until 1913, the mint pushed forward with consideration of a Washington five cent coin design by engraver Barber and a new mint director, A. Piatt Andrew, brought increased efficiency and controversy to the Bureau.
Andrew is probably the least known or understood director of the past hundred and fifty years. His drive for modernization and efficiency resulted in the introduction of new automatic weighing and press feeding equipment, and created substantial reductions in employees at the mints. Yet, Andrew also launched an attempt to confiscate pattern and experimental coins from collectors, and was responsible for destroying much of the Mint Bureau s artistic heritage. Throughout these events Renaissance of American Coinage, 1909-1915 continues the tradition of preceding volumes by presenting copious references to original sources.
By 1911, with George Roberts now back as Director, the mint embarked on an extensive program of alloy, and coin size and shape experiments. These were further pushed forward by consideration of the Coinage Act of 1912 which proposed new denominations and the use of aluminum. Coinciding with these experiments were the first tentative contacts between the mint and sculptor James Earle Fraser. Using his talent and persistent drive, Fraser convinced a reluctant mint to award him its commission to redesign the nickel, then completely captivated officials with coin-sized electrotypes and praise for the mint and its employees. Although interference by a small vending machine manufacturer delayed the Buffalo nickel s release, President Taft was able to distribute a handful to Native Americans just three weeks before he left office.
Commemorative coins issued for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition are usually discussed in references on such items. However, these four designs and their artistic freedom are direct predecessors to the magnificent silver coinage designs of 1916 and 1921. Here, Mr. Burdette presents not just the usual descriptions, but shows what some of the rejected designs looked like as well as examining possible inspiration for Barber s unusually creative work of the half dollar and quarter eagle. Numismatists will especially interested in the revealing reports from Treasury officials on Farran Zerbes efforts in selling the commemorative coins.
The book also includes a section revealing a cache of Treasury Department gold coins that was later turned over to the Philadelphia Mint collection. Renaissance of American Coinage, 1909-1915 concludes with information on the Mint Collection curator s habit of providing specimens of newly struck coins to favored museums.
Renaissance of American Coinage, 1909-1915 is a work of superior numismatic scholarship, destined to be a much-used reference for the next generation of collectors, specialists, dealers and auction houses. --Publisher's media release
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Completion of Burdette Trilogy is a Masterwork,
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This review is from: Renaissance of American Coinage 1909-1915 (Hardcover)
This third and final volume in Roger W. Burdette's trilogy titled Renaissance of American Coinage is every bit as satisfying as the other two volumes. Covering the years 1909-15, it includes complete developmental histories of two favorite coin types, the Lincoln Cent and the Buffalo Nickel. Also included are the several commemorative coins that were issued for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. All of this is thoroughly documented with correspondence between U. S. Mint officers, the sculptors commissioned to create the coins and various other public and private individuals who made their not-always-welcome contributions to these coins' histories.The book also features a look into some little known tales regarding the U. S. Mint's own coin collection, which is now held by the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History. These include a profile of the important curator, T. Louis Comparette, as well as some insider correspondence revealing that the Mint retained numerous old coins that it used for trading purposes and for soliciting favor with public officials. Sidebar stories on the infamous 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, as well as profiles of some important yet little known Mint personnel complete this important reference. As always with Roger's books, every statement and document is fully cited, not only as to its general source but as to its specific folder within the vast National Archives and Records Administration bureaucracy. As someone who has done a fair amount of research and writing myself on this period of Mint history, I can attest to just how tedious yet important this kind of documentation is to future research. While pointing out its thorough citations may give readers of this review the impression that this book is a dry and ponderous exercise, such an idea is vastly removed from the truth. Roger's writing skills and style are both eminently relaxed and enjoyable, and this book will satisfy students of U. S. Mint history and coinage at any level of sophistication. The numerous, sharp photographs are alone worth the price of the book. Whether enjoyed as a thoroughly researched history or simply as a beautiful coffee-table book, the 1909-15 volume of Roger's Renaissance of American Coinage is a delight. Package deals are being offered by at least one seller of this title, so anyone not having the other books covering 1905-08 and 1916-21 should take advantage of such offers by buying all three at once.
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