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Week #14 - Here it goes....

Started by dena,

26 posts in this topic

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dena

dena

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On what coin denomination did Mint Director Nellie T. Ross want Ben Franklin's portrait to appear?

 

First post that correctly answers the above question wins 3 FREE NGC Earlybird submissions.

 

Don't forget, we also draw for a runner-up prize from all posts with a correct answer.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

REMINDER: The Numisma-Quest ends/ended on Saturday at midnight EST. Entries after that time will not be valid. See the Trivia Info post for more details.

 

 

When you post your answer, only the administrators can see it. Stop back each Monday. We will make all the posts visible and announce the winners.

 

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a2labmom

a2labmom

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I think this is a trick question. confused.gif

 

I vote for the half dollar and here is why:

 

In a speech at the unveiling of the Franklin half dollar, Ross recalled that people had urged her to place Franklin's portrait on the cent because he was identified so closely with the maxim "A penny saved is twopence clear" (often misquoted as "A penny saved is a penny earned"). Ross explained her choice of the half dollar: "You will agree, I believe, that the fifty-cent piece, being larger and of silver, lends itself much better to the production of an impressive effect," she declared.

 

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Guest

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I don't know! mad.gif And I can't find it. frown.gif I don't suppose it counts if I ask someone else does it??? frown.gif Well then, I guess I'll just go back to searching.

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I think I found it:.

 

After seeing a U.S. Mint medal prepared in Franklin's honor in 1933 by the Mint's chief sculptor-engraver John R. Sinnock, Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross had contemplated a coin honoring Benjamin Franklin. Her choice of Ben Franklin as a U.S. coinage subject is understandable. Of all the Founding Fathers he enjoyed the greatest stature among his contemporaries, not only in this country but also abroad. As a diplomat he played a pivotal role in helping the colonies gain their independence by securing vital aid from France. He was justly renowned as a printer, publisher, author, inventor, and scientist. She showed her enthusiasm for the project by directing Sinnock to design a Franklin coin on a contingency basis.

 

Many people urged Ross to place Franklin's portrait on the cent because he was identified so closely with the maxim "A penny saved is two pence clear" (often misquoted as "A penny saved is a penny earned"). Ross explained her choice of the half dollar: "You will agree, I believe, that the fifty-cent piece, being larger and of silver, lends itself much better to the production of an impressive effect". This half dollar would be the only U.S. circulation coin to depict a person who never served as president of the United States until the introduction of the Susan B. Anthony dollar.

 

So, I think this answers your question. It says that she chose it to be on the half dollar....but does that mean that was the denomination she wanted it on? Hmm... maybe I'll just keep searching until I find a definite answer.....

 

 

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coinhead1

coinhead1

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Based on the below I would say she wanted it on the half.

http://www.coincentric.com/FranklinHalfDollars.htm grin.gif

 

Many people urged Ross to place Franklin's portrait on the cent because he was identified so closely with the maxim "A penny saved is two pence clear" (often misquoted as "A penny saved is a penny earned"). Ross explained her choice of the half dollar: "You will agree, I believe, that the fifty-cent piece, being larger and of silver, lends itself much better to the production of an impressive effect".

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dena

dena

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The question:

On what coin denomination did Mint Director Nellie T. Ross want Ben Franklin's portrait to appear?

 

 

The answer:

The dime. World War II delayed her plan, and Roosevelt occupied the dime before she could implement it.

 

 

The winner is keithdagen!

Your prize is a certificate for 3 FREE NGC Earlybird submissions

 

There is no drawing from all the remaining contestants who answered correctly because no one else got it.

 

 

 

Thanks to all! cool.gif

 

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Guest

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Ross' statement that the cent may have been the favorite of others is probably true, but it was not her choice. Nor was the half dollar at first; any statement she made to this effect was revisionist history to fit the occasion. The correct answer is the dime, and it's found on page 8 of The Complete Guide to Mercury Dimes by yours truly (shameless plug).

 

The dime was Ross' first choice to portray Franklin during the late 1930s. John R. Sinnock had already prepared models for such a coin, though these evidently have not survived. It was not until 1940 that the dime was eligible for a design change (having reached the statutory minimum of 25 years production), and by then the tremendous increase in coinage demand postponed any consideration of a design change until after the war. By that time, the dime was no longer available for Franklin, and Ross selected the half dollar as the next most suitable coin.

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keithdagen

keithdagen

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WhoHoo,

 

Thanks guys, package received today.

 

Completely wild guess based in some semblance of history. I figured that the the coin had to be one that was changed for another reason, and I remembered that the Roosevelt Dime was used to honor FDR for the March of Dimes, so that was the basis for my guess.

 

Since that's the only other coin changed near the half, that was my answer.

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