US Mint Engraver Allen Leonard … ?

RogerB

Philadelphia
November 21, 1845

[Excerpt]
“If you think well enough of me to give me your cordial support to the Secretary, I , on my honor as a man will do all I can towards placing the character of our coin at once on a level with the best in Europe, and I tell you candidly I think we can excel. I will make arrangement also to speedily become a master at modeling. With your permission I will call and see you the day after the session of Congress commences. You will please then give me a decided answer whether you will sustain me or not.
Yours, Very respectfully,
Allen Leonard”

The opinion of Director Patterson was that the Mint needed someone to make excellent original models in wax or plaster, and that “any good mechanic” could use the portrait lathe to make reductions and prepare dies. Elsewhere, Patterson notes that Longacre was hired for the latter purpose and not as a coin or medal designer and modeler.

Anyone want to find out more about Allen Leonard?

Smudge

Sure.

Hemispherical

@RogerB said:

Anyone want to find out more about Allen Leonard?

Yes.

Sounds like Allen Leonard was a go-getter.

“...You will please then give me a decided answer whether you will sustain me or not.”

Zoins

Allen Leonard had designed the Mint's John Quincy Adams presidential medal.

Was this letter for his candidacy for the position of Chief Engraver after the passing of Christian Gobrecht?

Here are a couple of medals by Leonard:

1844 Henry Clay Wealth of Nations Medal, White Metal, DeWitt HC 1844-6

• https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/henry-clay-1844-wealth-of-a-nation-medal-15-c-d934a73bb5

White Metal, 41.4mm, 6mm thick. By Allen Leonard. DeWitt HC 1844-6. Obv High relief, long-nosed bust l. Rev Factories, sailing ship, wealth indicated by industry. Glittering prooflike surfaces. At this time, engraver Leonard was being actively boosted for Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint.

General F Pierce - Our Country Right or Wrong Medal, White Metal, DeWitt FP 1851-1

This looks like a medal for Franklin Pierce, Brigadier General of the US Army and 14th President of the United States. Franklin Pierce attained the rank of Brigadier General on March 3, 1847 while participating in the Mexican-American War.

• https://www.icollector.com/Franklin-Pierce-1852-United-We-Stand-Medal_i25265670
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Pierce

White Metal, 41.3mm, 54.4mm thick. By Allen Leonard. DeWitt FP 1851-1. Obv Uniformed bust l. Rev Eagle and flags, OUR COUNTRY RIGHT OR WRONG. Flashing prooflike fields.

Zoins

Some searching brought up the following post regarding an engraver with the name Allen Leonard in Richmond, Virginia circa 1862 who said he was born in New York. Does this sound like the same Allen Leonard here?

http://www.confederatevets.com/documents/leonard_va_1.html

Memoranda on Allen Leonard, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1862

Allen Leonard.-Says the he is a New Yorker by birth but a resident engraver of Richmond. He is a fool. A crazy Union man who was arrested and committed for expressing a strong desire for reunion. He says that he is utterly opposed to war and equally opposed to disunion; that he was [for] reunion but he cannot conceive how it is to be accomplished. He says that Major Tomlin arrested him at West Point. It may be well to inquire of Major Tomlin why he arrested him. I think the man more fit for a lunatic asylum than a jail.

SOURCE: Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 2, pg. 1429

ricko

It is a nice letter requesting support.....rather begging for support... I wonder if it was the same person later described in @Zoins post....Cheers, RickO

Nysoto

I would like to know more about Leonard and his background.

RogerB

There are several letters by or about Leonard in the NARA E-1 1844 and 1845 file boxes. Patterson did not think he was a competent artist at modeling, although fine at die sinking.

Coinosaurus

Quite a few mentions of medals he engraved on NNP:

https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/searchwithterms?searchterm=Allen%20Leonard