Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-04
UP TO THE SECRETARY
Decision Regarding Initials on
Lincoln Pennies.
OBJECTED TO By CRITICS
Mint Officials Regard the Lettering
as Not Unusual.
NUMBER OF INSTANCES CITED
Designer of the New Coin Places
His Imprint on One Side
of Plate.
NUMBER OF INSTANCES C1IE1

Unless Secretary MacNeach should de-
eide 10 interfere as to the initials ".
-. E." appearing on the new Lincoln
head penny, which has been put into cir
culation here, tie officials of the mint bu-
reau OF the Treasury will do nothing. The
acting director OF the mint. Maj Pres
ton. said today that it is not at all I'M
usual for the initials of the designer to
appear upon the coin. He referred to the
silver half dollars. quarters and other
coins At the bottom of the neck of the
representation of liberty the small letter
is to be found.
Victor B. Bremen of New York is the
designer of the Lincoln head coin, and his
initials appear at the bottom of one side
OF the coin. Objection has been made by
number of critics to this. and the mat
ter is to be recalled to the attention of
tho mint bureau officials. who will, as
stated give il no consideration unless di-
rected to do 50 by Secretary MacNea gh.
There is considerable difference. it is
pointed out, in the initials on the new
penny and on the othe! coins Of Uncle
Sam. Tie initials on the penny ere raised
and can easily be deciphered. while those
on the other coins are cut i'm and arc sell
dom noticed.
Decline to Pay Freight.
Treasury officials say there are plenty
of tho new pennies to be had from the
Philadelphia mint, but the government
does not propose to pay the express
charges upon them simply to accommo-
date the demands of neNsboEs and 9TH
ers. Anybody can get the pennies 10y
sending to the Philadelphia mint for
them aud they can be had in as large
quantities as desired
The new coins made their appca nee
simultaneously in Washington. Baltimore.
Philadelphia and other subtreasury cities
Monday morning. but were most sought
for yes erday. The treasurer's office paid
them out in moderate numb ers, but would
not supply them to spectators. who were
securing them and selling them at pre-
miums. In New York Wall street
brokers were Offering % cents each for
them.
The coins viii have no unusual value.
They will be steadily minted for at least
twenty-five years to come, the laws of
the country providing that designs of
coin shall remain in existence for at
least twenty-five years. They will be put
into circulation as demanded by the bust
ness Of the country, and will he shipped
to all points which pay express charges.
Visitors and others in Washington have
paid newsboys :, to -, cents apiece for
the pennies under the impression that
they could not be obtained otherwise.
Description of Coin.
TIE diverse side Of the new coin shows
a bust of Lincoln as he appeared during
the civil war period. with In God We
Trust at the top. On one side Of the
Lincoln bust appears Liberty and
oh the other the year OF coinage.
On the reverse side appears Fl. Pluri-
bus I-num' in small letters at the top,
with zone Cent and, limited States of
America in the center. Two stems OF
wheat replace the wreath OF leaves and
arrows, which, with the shield at the top
made circle on the old cent.
Just between the stems Of wheat APP
pear the microscopic letters ". .. b..
the initials of Victor d. Bremen, a young
Russian artist who designed The new
coin Bremen has endeavored 10 make
his work portray l4incolDs love for chill
dren, and the face. taken from a photo
graph in the possession of Charles Eliot
Norton. is relaxed and smiling.
Brenner came TO this country as a boy.
His nrst money was earned selling
matches. AS street Nender the boy saw
ed his pennies and studied at night in
the Cooper Institute. New York. Later he
went I" Paris and recently opened a
studio in New York.