The Wisconsin weekly blade. [volume] (Madison, Wis.) 1916-1925, 1916-07-20
ARTISTS DESCRIBE
THREE new COINS
American Idea Expressed on
Dimes, Quarters and Halves.
MONEY IS MUCH ADMIRED.

Liberty ~ u Fuli EenStn Femalo 1oWh-
ed In Folds of Stars and Stripes on
the Half DoIlar-Wears a Winged
Cap en- the Dime - Quarter Shows
Her UncoVerine Shield.
Adolph Alexander Weinman designer
of the new United States fifty ard ten
cent pieces, and Herman A. MacNeil,
designer of the new twenty five cent
piece, have given the following deScrip-
lions of their designs and the artistic
thought back of the drawings.
Mr.. Weinman said:
While | was given an entirely free
hand in the designing of the coins, the
subject of the designs was determined
by the law governing the coinage of
the United States which law sets forth
just what is to appear upon the OBJ
verse and reverse of each coin. The
manner Of representation is, of course,
left to the artist, subject to the APP
prevail of the director of the mint and
the secretary of the treasury. Thus
the diverse of the half dollar bears an
impression emblematic of Liberty, with
an inscription Of the word Liberty
and the year of the coinage. The same
applies to the diverse of the dime.
Upon the reverse there is the figure
or representation of an eagle, with this
inscription. United States of America
The character of the subject for the
reverse of the dime has not been men
toned In this law on coinage.
In my design for the half dollar l
have represented Liberty in a full
length female figure envelOped in the
| folds of the stars and stripes, progress
ing in full stride toward the glorious
dawn of a new day. carrying branches
OF laurel and of oak. symbolical of
/ civic and OF military glory. Her right
hand is extended in bestowal of the
spirit of liberty upon the land of the
free and the home Of the brave
The design for the reverse of the
half dollar shows the American eagle
perched high upon mountain crag, his
wings unfolded. fearless in spirit and
conscious of his power. Springing from
a rift in the rock is sapling of noun
tain pine, symbolical of America.
The design for the dime, owing to
the smsiness OF the coin. has been
/ held quite simple. = diverse shows
] a raaa vi IapeFi3 Win "A winged cap.
7 Tie head is firm and simple in form.
+ the profile forceful.
"The reverse shows design of a
bundle of stats with battle ak, the
'fasces.' emblem of unity and symbol
| of strength and preparedness. Sur
rounding the fasces is full foliaged
| branch of olive, symbol of peace"
| Adolph Alexander Weinman, sculp-
tor, was born in Karlsruhe. Baden,
| Germany, Dec II, 1870 He obtained
| his educati0 in Germany and in this
country.
Typifes Preparedness.
Mr.. MacNeil said:
ut seemed to me good plan to try
! to typify i'll the issue of the new coins
not only our cOuntry's development
/ artistically. but also to express. so far
as possible, the development of the
country itself since the last issue. some
| twenty-five years ago.
With this in mind it seemed to me
| mat tue iCtd HlcSl Ill tUt minus OF Ine
whole people these last few years was
an awakening from the slumber of Sc
curity in their own strength. 1t is
well understood fact that strength
| trained doubles its value and efficiency,
so In the diverse of the coin suggested
the figure of Liberty in the act of I'M
covering her shield to typify prepared
ness and had her also bearing the olive
branch 10 signify there was no agrees
sive idea in it,
Prom the point Of view of numismat-
ics, as we'll as carrying out this idea,
placed the figure stepping forward to
what might be called the gateway of
the country. Artisticaly you will un.
derstand that it is a very difficult thing
anyway, even without the prescribed
limitations. TO express in so small a
thing as n coin anything more than the
mere kernel of an idea"
Herman Atkins eMacNeil, sculptor,
was born in Chelsea. Mass. In 1866.
He was graduated from the Massachu-
sets State Normal school in 1886 He
was pupil of Chaplin at Julien acad-
envy and spent twelve years at the
Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.