Recycled Designs

[jtryka]

In doing some research on Augustus Saint-Gaudens, I came across a couple of interesting designs recycled on US coins. Check this out, the reverse of the $10 Indian is almost identical to the reverse of the Roosevelt inaugural medal he designed in 1905.

 

1907 Indian $10

 

1905 Medal

[jtryka]

Here's another one recycled after 90 years, but at least for similar themes. The Women’s Auxiliary of the Massachusetts Civil Service Reform Association Presentation Medal, 1905-06 had an obverse on which the Mint based the 1996 National Community Service commemorative silver dollar.

 

1905-06 Medal

 

1996 NCS Obverse

[jtryka]

Here's another one, the obverse of the 1992 Columbus half, very similar to ASG's Columbian Exposition medal of 1892-94:

 

1892 Medal

 

1992 Columbus Half Dollar

 

(I apologize to the seller, but I had to borrow that image from and eBay auction for the Columbus Half)

[keithdagen]

I remember walking through the Dallas Museum of Art about a month or so ago, and looking at a flat relief in bronze and thinking it strikingly familiar. When I looked on the wall, sure enough, it was by St. Gaudens and the figure portrayed reminded me of Liberty on the $20 obverse. Later, found a sculpture by Fraser further back in the museum.

[jtryka]

The Liberty on the double eagle is actually based on the statue entitled "Victory" See Image Here a version of which stands at the Sherman memorial in New York City See Image Here

[jom]

Of course, the incuse design of Pratt's on the $2.5 and $5 are the same as St. Gaudiens $10.

 

jom

[berylcoin-migration]

Wow, they sure butchered his designs for those modern commems. Examples like these are the main reason I am so strongly opposed to reusing past designs (Mercury dime, standing quarter, etc.) on current coins; they would only be flattened and artistically butchered.

 

BC

[TomB]

I have seen this before with works by ASG and I don't mind it at all as long as the work is of high artistic merit. Therefore, I agree with berylcoin that these wonderful designs should not be bastardized by having them reduced on modern coinage as our Mint produces it.

 

Do you have the works of Tharp or Wilkinson? They have both written on ASG and his work.

 

As for the Women's Auxiliary of the Massachusetts Civil Reform Association Presentation medal, there are only two known. One was awarded to Marjie Ruth Mallery and the other was not awarded. The reverse is shown in my attachment.

[Hoot]

The Liberty on the double eagle is actually based on the statue entitled "Victory"...

 

And Victory (Nike) was the portrait used for Saint-Gaudens' $10 Indian design.

 

Hoot

[chrisfuccione]

Most refenences I've read has said that the Linclon cent idea came from a medal that Brenner did in 1907 wich was based on a panting but I found this medal made in 1866(1868?) by Sigel.

 

IMAGE

 

Here is the text I found on this medal.

 

2085 American Numismatic Society, 1868 (popularly attributed to 1866). King-244, Johnson-1. Emil Sigel's Memorial medal of Abraham Lincoln. Bronze. 6,333.3 grains; 83.6 mm. MS-63. Large format medal struck "IN MEMORY OF THE LIFE ACTS AND DEATH OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. BORN FEBRUARY 12, 1809. DIED APRIL 15, 1865." as appears on the reverse side in eight lines, a wreath of laurel around. The obverse features the bust of Lincoln, right, in very high relief. The legend reads "SALVATOR PATRIAE." Below the portrait a tiny inscription reads EMIL SIGEL FECIT. A very handsome, impressive, and desirable medal. Most probably, the very finest work ever done by Sigel (at least, we have seen no close competition to it).

 

This is an exceedingly rare medal. The story is a lengthy one, and further details, if desired, can be picked up from that fascinating publication of yore, the American Journal of Numismatics, Andrew Zabriskie's monumental catalogue of Lincoln pieces (the first major work, titled Descriptive Catalogue of the Political and Memorial Medals struck in Honor of Abraham Lincoln, Sixteenth President of the United States, but only 75 copies were printed), and, especially from the regard of easy accessibility today, from "Lincoln in Numismatics," by Robert P. King, The Numismatist, February 1924. This built upon the work of Zabriskie and others and brought to print the current knowledge in the field. Of his predecessor, Zabriskie, much could be written; in his time he was one of the all-time "greats" in American numismatics.

 

King was another one of the "greats" in American numismatic research, but at a later time than Zabriskie. In the years since 1924 we have all drawn upon his work. King began his collecting interest at the age of two when his father, the senior partner in the firm of King & Baird, gave him a collection of 800 Civil War envelopes printed with various illustrations and sentiments, including many varieties printed by King and Baird. Numismatically, he cut his teeth at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition when he happened upon a 5-centime coin of Napoleon III given to him by a visitor. In King's words, "This was followed by a collection of Civil War tokens, they being the easiest thing to acquire, as prior to about 1880, there were a lot of these little pieces still in circulation, and one could hardly get a 25¢ piece changed without getting from one to three or four of these tokens in the transaction. I know whereof I speak, as I was never sent to the store without stopping in some other store first and getting my money changed to pennies, with a chance of adding to my collection, and was seldom disappointed, forming quite a collection in this way and with the help of some friends and folks." The writer went on to note that his interest in Lincoln medals and tokens dated from a later time, a few years prior to the centennial of Lincoln's birth, which was celebrated in 1909

 

Sigel, a well-known issuer of Civil War tokens (most of which would win no design awards; most seemed to have been produced quickly, often naively, and fell short of the contemporary work of, say, William Bridgens), was tapped by the renascent Society in April 1865 to issue a grand medal depicting the martyred Lincoln, this being the foremost news story of the period. Such a medal, if finely done, would enjoy a wide sale not only to numismatists, but to the general public. Apparently, Sigel's reach exceeded his grasp, or he became possessed of the "slows." The project dragged on, and on, and on. Finally, he prepared the dies, but on the 16th impression they broke during the striking process circa late January or early February 1866, nearly a year later than planned. Apparently, most or all of these 16 were in soft "white metal," and two "imperfect copies" had been presented to officials (one being President Johnson) on the Lincoln's birthday celebration on February 12. Sigel agreed to make new dies by August 1. By this time much of the market for these metals was lost. Time dragged on and on. Finally, in early 1868, the Society made an arrangement with Sigel for a new set of dies. The agreement proposed certain cost adjustments and also noted that Sigel was not to make any restrikes or impressions for unauthorized persons. Complicating the situation was the unauthorized making of similar medals from other dies by an English firm.

 

The present medal from the Bass Collection is a very beautiful striking of one of the largest, most important early medals of Lincoln, and is further important as being the Society's first issue. Today, examples are rare.

 

 

 

This infomation came from the Harry Bass Foundation page.

 

LINK

 

CHRIS

 

.

 

 

[chrisfuccione]

The front of the Franklin Half Dollar was bases on a 1933 medal that innock did and the revers was based on his 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollar. I was not able to find front of medal but COINFACT has a good image of reverse of Com. half. CHRIS

 

REV.

[shirohniichan]

Of course, the incuse design of Pratt's on the $2.5 and $5 are the same as St. Gaudiens $10.

 

jom

 

The designs that ended up on the coins were Barber's less-than-realistic renderings of the originals. Critics complained that the eagle didn't look natural, but that wasn't the fault of the original designer but that of Barber.

[Hoot]

Great information Chris! Thanks! Great thread Jeff! Thanks! Hmmm... I sound like a broken record... But this is a fabulous bunch of information.

 

Hoot