Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-11

$500 for the best and
| second best models was merely private en-
| terprise, at the bottom of which were GER
| tain gentlemen interested in numismatics.
| They persuaded the artists to get up this
| scheme, with a view to the aesthetic i'm
provement of United States coins.
| Unfortunately, artists generally are
wretched coin designers. They will not
realize that piece of money is not a thing
| to paint a picture upon, and the models
they offer are mostly the widest freaks.
One trouble with the artists is that they
will not submit to the requirements of the
law in making such designs. Coin-making
| Is an old art, and its principles are settled.
| In England, for example, the pound ster-
| ling, which is the unit of value, is coined
! In gold and stamped at the British mint.
| This piece is called a sovereign. On one side
| of 1t Is the head of the queen, and on the
| other side is the coat-of-arms of the nation.
| In nearly all countries the practice is the
same-that is to say, each coin bears on its
diverse a portrait of the ruler and on it's
reverse the arms of the state.
Uncle Sam has always held to the same
idea. This country being republic, how
ever, picture of the Goddess of Liberty
has been substituted for the sovereign of
the monarchy. 1t has often been urged
that 1t would be a good thing to use the
heads Of the Presidents on our coins, thus
making each issue to represent an epoch in
ample, would bear Mr. Cleveland's portrait.
In 1897, according to this notion. his phys
iognomy would be replaced by that of his
successor. This idea will never be carried
out in all probability, because it is too sug-
gestive of royal prerogative Neverthe-
less, in the early days, when this great ma
ton was as yet in swaddling clothes, cop
per cents were issued with the head of
Washington on them.
What the Law Requires.
Low,
the dollar shall appear something en-
blematic of liberty, with the word Lib
erty' and the date of coming. On the re-
verse must be the inscription, United
States of America; z Plurbus Unum,'
and the value. The eagle stands for the
coat-of-arms of the Union. Designs offer
ed by artists show that they imagine that
any eagle will do for the purpose. This is
big mistake. The eagle required is the
heraldic eagle. showing the bird as it is
represented in the coat-of-arms of the
United States. This peculiar kind of eagle
is as much a part of arms the
double-headed eagle is an essential part of
the arms of Austria. Attempts to vary it
on the coins have been notably unsucceSS-
full. Eagles have been nailed upon the wall
at the mint in Philadelphia to serve as
models in various attitudes, but the de-
signs thus produced have been mercilessly
rdiculed. The flying eagle on the nickel
cent was removed because people insisted
that it was buZZard.
1t is not possible to have the same de-
signs on all of the coins of nation. be-
cause there would be nothing to distinguish
ore denomination from another save the
kind of metal and the size. Accordingly,
the minor pieces exhibit more or less varia-
ton. For instance, on the dime, nickel and
cent the coat-of-arms is omitted-that is
to say, the eagle is left off. On the cent
the head of an Indian appears in place of
Liberty. In England crown or other
L. ;1,,1
statutes of the United States formerly
required that the words I'm God We
Trust should appear on the coin when
ever practicable. Although the Revised
Statutes have abrogated this requirement
the Inscription is still used in Difference to
public opinion. The question as to whether
it should be retained or not came up dur
ing the Hayes administration and was thus
decided.
Open to Change.
The dollar and nickel are the only United
States coins which at present are open to
change. Congress has provided that the
treasury may alter them if it likes. But
to make a change in the half-dollar, quar-
ter, dime or cent would require a special
act of the national legislature. The stat
utes declare that no change may be made
in the coins more often than once in
twenty-five years, unless Congress grants
permission. AS for the silver dollar, the
treasury, though always open to sugges-
TONS is not looking for a new design.
Very few dollars are being coined just
row any way, though 100000 of them were
minted last month. Models for coins are
frequently offered to the government but
nearly all Of them are hopelessly bad.
Even if a design should be found accept
able, the person contributing 1T could not
get any money for it unless by persuading
Congress to purchase it, no appropriation
being available for the purpose.
WI he Yr;2 OILY
by the National Sculpture Society are
awarded will be offered to the Secretary
of the Treasury. Mr.. Carlisle has author
ity to change the dollar as he may wish,
though he has no money with which to
pay the successful artist. In old times it
was the privilege of the director of the
mint to alter the coins whenever he saw
fit, and they underwent changes so fire.
quently that the twenty-five-year Law, above
refer ed to, was enacted What the artists
should realize is that fine pictures are not
wanted on coins. The devices on a piece
of money ought to be rather conventional.
Simplicity is prime requisite. coin is
a piece of metal stamped officially by the
governing powers of the state in which it
is to be circulated, so that it may be iden-
tilted. Ready and sure identificatio is the
first thing demanded
Designing Coins.
Beyond all that has been said, 1t ought
to be realized that the designing of coins
is an art in itself and a rare one. There
are never more than a dozen first-rate ex-
rerts in that line living at one time. One
of the most highly skilled designers of the
day is Mr.. Barber of the mint in Phila-
delphia. He has a workshop there, in
which are turned out all of the dies for
Uncle Sans pieces Of metal money. Every
now and then the government. wants a
medal struck for one purpose another
perhaps Congress may vote one to a dis
tinguished citizen, as in the case of Joseph
Francis-and the devices for it are pro-
duced by Mr.. Barber and his assistants.
Though various materials may be employ
ed, Mr.. Barber uses a wax composition for
designing coins. He takes a quantity of
an extremely pure quality Of beeswaX,
with which he mixes small proportion of
resnous gum and a little of the finest YER
million. The mixture, after being melted
and stirred SO as to make it homogeneous,
is poured into cold water When cool, it
is thoroughly kneaded like so much dough.
Having thus made ready for business, the