Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-28
THE NEW GOLD Coins
Demands for Restoration of
''In God We Trust"
PETITIONS TO CONGRESS
Director Leach Tells of the Trials of
the Models.
THIRD EFFORT WAS SUCCESSFUL
Record Kept of the Guns in the
Navy-Have Individuality Like
Railway Locomotives.
PETITIONS TO CONGRESS
THIRD EFFORT WAS SUCCESSFUL
BY WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
The House committee on coinage takes
issue with the President and has reported
bill directing the officers of the mint to
restore the motto I'm God We Trust"
The members of the committee do not
concur in the Presidents opinion that its
presence on the coins encouraged irrever-
ence. They do not believe that the Ia
milar use and appearance of the name
of the Creator promotes profanity. The
same view has been taken by many reli-
gious organizations. UNCONVENTIONAL asso-
cations and individuals. The petitions to
Congress for the restoration of the motto
numerous and very largely signed by
influential people in every part OF the
country Whether the bill will pass both
houses of Congress remains to be seen.
but l understand that the President will
not make any active opposition. He con-
cedes the right of the committee TO a diff
ference of opinion
The new Saint GaudenS coins without
the motto are being nlinted at the rate OF
a million day. SO that a considerab bic sup
ply of them will be i'm circulation before
the bill can be acted on. There is an act
i've demand for the trial twenty-dollar
model was adopted They are very few
in number. and all of them passed into
the hands of government officials. None
was issued to the public. | understand
that the President. perhaps it was the
Secretary OF the Treasury. gave his set to
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York. and perhaps other officials who
Rave been so fortunate as to secure them
will follow his example and give their
coins to some museum. Private collectors
are offering very high prices for the trial
coins but l cannot learn that any have
been sold.
Coins Tried and Rejected.
The director of the mint knows the dis
position and wherea bouts of every one
that was struck and they can be easily
traced by him. although. for obvious rea-
sons, ii would be indiscreet for him to
give the list for publication. OF the orig
inai model of Saint Gaudens only nineteen
pieces were struck: of the second model
thirteen were struck, but when it was dis
covered that the dimensions did not cor
respond with the requirements of the law.
every one was recalled and melted up,
with the exception of two examples which
were placed in the cabinet of coins Of the
officials at the Philadelphia mint OF the
third design II, 153 pieces were struck.
and they were paid out in the regular
course of business until SO much COM
plant was made that they would not
stack that the presses were stopped and
the high relief on the face Of the coin
was reduced to the present design.
There was a similar experience with the
ten-dollar coins. Five hundred trial
pieces were struck from the first model.
1t was then altered and 81. 100 pieces were
struck from the second model before the
high relief was reduced, like that of the
double eagle. to the present design.
The few examples that. are left of the
trial coins are being distributed among
the prominent museums of the country.
None will be given to private collectors.
They already have very high value, and
that will increase with time The most
valuable gold coin ever minted by the
United States is the half-eagle dated 1915.
For some reason only 3, lis were struck,
and most of them have disappeared. Sam
pies have been sold for as high as $1,000.
When 1 asked Mr.. Frank A. Leach. d.
rector of the mint. the history of the new
gold coins he replied:
History of the Coins.
1.-THE contract with Mr. Saint Gaudens
was made i'll July. 1905. but no designs
were finally adopted until early in 1907,
when the first die was produced This die
was from the first model made for the
double eagles. 1t gave such a high relief
70 the figures on the design that all eff
forts TO produce a perfect coin on the reg
medal press was then resorted to that the
beauty of the design might be studied
and be preserved in the shape OF a coin,
hut even by this process il required about
twelve blows in the press for each piece,
with annealing between each stroke of the
press. The annealing process consists Of
heating the coin TO cherry-red heat and
cooling IL in a dilute solution OF acid. This
process eliminates the copper alloy on the
surface of the coin and leaves the piece
n
Nineteen pieces only from this model were
struck on the medal press. and these were
subsequently given TO mint and Washing
ION officials connected with the work
1T being thought by some that by re-
ducing the diameter of the piece. with
corresponding increase in thickness that
the high relief might thus be obtained.
dies were made and several pieces struck,
vixen ii was discovered that the coinage
art passed In 1890 prohibited the change
of the diameter of any coin. Thirteen
pieces were struck from this small die for
the thick pieces. but with the exception OF
two pieces placed in the mint cabinet or
collection OF coins al the Philadelphia
mint. all of these pieces have been melted
up and destroyed on account OF the i'm
proper dimensions.
MFR. Saint-Gaudens then attempted to
facilitate the work of coinage by supply
ing another or second set of models with
the relief reduced to some extent, but no
results could be obtained on the regular
coming presses. ana again the medal
press was resorted to. when 1t was found
that only nine blows were required to pro-
duce a perfect coin. Mr.. Saint -Gaudens
then undertook to make d third model
with still further and greater reduction of
the high relief: but. the first attempt to
use the dies from this last model on the
regular coming presses being a failure
and fearing no satisfactory results could
be reached. and In order 10 make certain
that the beauty Of Mr.. Saint Gaudens' last
work would be preserved. and that speci-
mems might be distributed throughout the
various parts Of the United States it was
decided to strike several thousand pieces
from model No. . on the medal presses of
the mint and TO this end l., l 4; pieces ex-
elusive of the IA reserved for the assay
commission. were struck and sent to the
various assistant treasurers of the init ed
states. who gave them out to all who ap-
piled as long the supply lasted
Model 8 Successful.
'.In the meantime further efforts made
with dies from model No. 3 on the coming