The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-01
BLOOMER EAGLES
A mint NUISANCE
New Roosevelt Gold Coins Can't
&c Struck by Ordinary
Process.
GAUDEN,s PLAN CHANGED

GAUDEN,s PLAN CHANGED
WASHINGTON. D. c.. November 2e.--
Now there's moro rouble over the
..1,loomer Eagies'-the $40 gold coins
God We Trust" Not only is this coin
regarded as the uglicst piece of money
that ever bore the stamp of the unitedi
states, but the peculiarly high relief of
The design makes 1t almost Impossible
to mint The only place where they
are now being made is at the Philadcl-
phia miut, and from there have come
many complaints about the trouble-
coin. The presses in the DIG
money-making establishment +. would
not work at all when run ut the ordi-
nary rate of speed, and even now. after
the introduction of special. devices 10
overcome the difficulty tho conditions
are far from satisfactory. Even at the
Philadelphia mint, where tho machines
used In making gold eagles have been
altered to handle the new high relief
dies. the work of turning out the coins
is slow and expensive. while at the
New Orleans, Denver and San Trancis-
co minis it is impossible to make the
new coins at all.
The principal difficulty from a mo-
chanical standpoint Is that the design
for the new coin provides for ar eN-
trcmely high relief on both sides of the
piece, and the ordinary coin press used
in the mints is incapable of turning
ont the coins in perfect condition. 1t
was found Immediately that nothing
but a medal press could be used suc-
ccssfully without altering the machin-
cry, and medal presses are run so slowly
as to prohibit their use for ordinary
coinage. To turn out ten dollar gold
pieces at tho slow rate OF speed ac-
complished by a medal press would
make the coins so expensive that they
could not be produced for general cir
culation.
The problem has been studied for
several weeks by the mint officers and
employees. with the result that the ma
chines used on this particular COIN
have been provided with u mechanical
attachment which permits the presses
to be run at somewhere near the usual
rate OF speed. The same device will
have to be installed in the other mints
of the country. The ordinary gold
coinage press turns out coins at the
rate of nearly sixty a minute; that is,
The press stamps coins in perfect con-
hIliOu uliiioSS 10 ~ -"
ticks.
Double Eagles Worse.
The difficulty will be multiplied by
three when the mint undertakes TO exc
cute the gold coins of the double eagle
and five dollar denominations after the
new designs. 1T Is possible also that
two dollar and a half gold pieces Will
he executed after the icy design, but
it is not certain that the coinage of
this denomination will be continued, as
there is little call for these pieces.
1T is an open secret now that the
nav coin designs arc not distinctly
the work of Augustus Saint Gaudens,
the noted sculptor. at all. The fact Is
that the coin has been changed In two
or three respects from the design ap-
proved by the late sculptor. and that
while the design was in preparation
Mi. Saint Gaudens was constantly en-
barrassed and restricted by suggestions
and commands from the President. But
wen after the sculptor had finished his
work and the design was approved by
the higher executive, If not artistic,
authority, notifications were made
which change utterly the appearance
of the finished coins. These changes
were dictated by practical %considera-
lions, but taken all in all the new coins
are badly botched. and SO admitted to
be by persons who have had experience
in the coinage branch OF the govern
ment.
Lazy, Flying Eagle.
Preparations are now being made to
produce the double eagle. or $50 gold
piece, after the new design, but the
design will have to be changed, or at
least an entirely new effect Will be
impaired to it. to make the coin accept
able in business and in order that 1T
may be produced economically by the
mint. A few pieces from the double
eagle design haYe. already been struck,
and they present. q much worse APP
pearance than the eagle piece to which
SO much objection has already been
made. Instead of the Mary Cunning
ham head. one side of the $50 piece
bears the standing female figure of
Liberty, holding in one hand Il torch
and in the other hand an olive branch.
One foot rests on a rock or other
object. so that the right knee is prom
tnent under the drapery which en-
yelops the figure. On the reverse
side instead of the standing eagle in
trousers is the high relief figure of
the bird of freedom flying alphabetically
through space with wings hardly half
spread. AS in the $40 piece. the side
view of the eagle is presented. but the
conception is such that there is no
action whatever in the figure. 1t more
HeHTlS TCScsnbicS the Dlrd on f1e old
fashioned 'easle" onc-ccnt coins of the
eos.
The $50 piece also differs from the
SO coin in that the words ~. Pluribus
Euum'' appear on the edge of the coin,
alternating with stars to represent the
States of the, Union. After the design
for the $40 piece was approved 1T was
found that the coin would not stack
and SO was unfit for circulation. AT
about the same time the Philadelphia
mint authorities called attention to the
fact that the relief of the coin was
so high that the piece would last only
n few months in general circulation
SO great would the damage from abra-
sion be.
Design Made for Copper Cent.
Accordingly 1t was decided to reduce
the relief presented by the Mary Gun
ninghan head and the strutting eagle
and In addition to this 1t was decided
to erect around the edge OF the coin a
high line or Ng as a further protec-
tion againet phraslon. The latter pro-
cess had the effect OF greatly cmpha-