Options
Possibly the most beautiful U.S Cent reverse pattern ever designed ...
WingedLiberty1957
Posts: 2,961 ✭✭✭✭✭
WingedLiberty1957
Posts: 2,961 ✭✭✭✭✭
WingedLiberty1957
Posts: 2,961 ✭✭✭✭✭
WingedLiberty1957
Posts: 2,961 ✭✭✭✭✭
Comments
Holy crap. Either I'd forgotten about that one or I'd never seen it.
An earlier thread said it was designed by James Fraser's wife, Laura Gardin Fraser.
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/992021/lincoln-cent-by-james-earl-and-laura-gardin-fraser
@dcarr? In gold?
--Severian the Lame
I've seen this and held it in-hand. It is an amazing piece of art.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Very much like the artistry that went into making the tree standout!
i wish the US Mint made artistic stuff like this today. All we get today is cr#!*p.
My Coin Blog
My Toned Lincoln Registry Set
I’ve never seen this before! Very cool! Looks a lot like the CT statehood quarter, which happens to be one of my favorites from the series.
I think a lot of the parks quarter designs were pretty good. Overall I think the formatting of the designs was solid. MASSIVE improvement from the statehood series.
Another earlier discussion here https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/728030/james-earle-fraser-pattern-1952-cent
Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association
I would so much rather have had this design than any of the subsequent designs.... Really beautiful. Cheers, RickO
ive never seen that before. I understand why you love the design. way cool
I like it
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Knew nothing about this pattern. Really nice. I agree that Dan Carr should make one in gold or silver or both. Much better than the Memorial reverse.
Very pretty design. We will never have coins like that anymore....just modern crap.
I’ve never seen that one before...
Superb design!
My YouTube Channel
That's really cool, makes me want to collect Patterns.
Join the fight against Minnesota's unjust coin dealer tax law.
Here is what you'd get if the mint made this reverse today...
I'm not a fan. The wheat reverse symbolized the production of wheat in America's heartland. This is a commodity that is shipped worldwide. A wonderful export.
The tree? What does it represent? Shouldn't it have some symbolism of some sort?
bob
PS: I'm not artistic nor do I understand art.
The tree would have probably been difficult to strike in quantity and quantity is what was and is needed for one cent coins.
I have never seen that before. Very nice.
How about the tree as a symbol of quiet strength, power, and dignity?
I like it!!
Well, just Love coins, period.
I appreciate the comment about the wheat. In my mind the tree represents the steadfastness of the American ideal, plus the fact that we don't have to chop them all down for use as fuel.
Successful transactions here and ATS with: jwitten, Rob41281, bajjerfan, cucamongacoin, Jim F., physics-fan3.14, x2rider, Wahoo554, Weather11am, Relaxn, jimineez1, Ronyahski, Bliggity, SurfinxHI, McGrump (thru BAJJERFAN), ms71, Downtown1974, ad4400
Haven't we cut them all down yet to build building?
The reverse is reminiscent of the Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar... I like it!
Liberty trees were symbols for the colonists. Places to meet, organize, and protest.
I think it would make for a great reverse.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I concur with your observation.
Never heard of the term liberty tree. Would not have had meetings here in Nevada if we had to rely on trees.
bob
How many of these exist? Also curious as to market value.
It’s the dead Presidents era, 110yrs and counting. I wish we could end it completely.
Later, Paul.
The Germans had one.
Never seen that one before but I want it.
IS that a kid hanging from a tree?
I dunno, I wasnt there
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Pinata.
Smitten with DBLCs.
Very cool
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/publishedset/209923
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/album/209923
Love it!
To be clear, I dont think this was ever actually minted into a coin. We are commenting on a plaster design
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Yes, this is a plaster, not a minted pattern or coin. I thought we were all on the same page with that observation or knowledge, but it appears that this might not have been the case.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Who owns that plaster model ?
There's a tree drawn in ink, I've been looking for.
Dates back to (im guessing) 1750 or above. Saw when I was kid.
In the open spaces was a perfect, with detail, image,
of a revalutionary minute man, standing at attention.
LOVE THIS TREE on the reverse, kinda wakes you up from
the ho hum and shows what the ho hum can produce.
But there's somthing shady about this, makes want to grab my girl
and as i did as a kid, pull out my pen knife.
Not the coin, Lol
That is what I was thinking/seeing too!
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore...
Discipline was harsh in the old days.
It would make for a beautiful coin. As others have mentioned, the last few years of parks quarters have been superb. The format of the design template is appealing, the engraving and detail is breathtaking, and the freakin' spaghetti hair of Washington has been admirably addressed. I like them and like adding to them each year with the basic mint sets.
Kudos to you, unsung mint artists. 
Remember the unfortunate MS quarter with what ended up as broccoli trees on the reverse? If we had the current crop of mint artisans in charge of realizing that design today, I doubt that the original designer would have any cause for complaint. As it was, he was pretty peeved about his trees design transforming into vast stalks of broccoli (and I don't blame him!)
AUandAG, regarding the symbolism, below is from the uspatterns site, which was from RWB:
1952 Lincoln Cent
The following information is courtesy of Roger Burdette.
In December 1951 sculptor James E. Fraser, designer of the Buffalo nickel and several commemorative coins, sent unsolicited obverse and reverse designs for a new Lincoln cent to Director Nellie Tayloe Ross. Upon viewing the models, Director Ross wrote, "...It is with a real thrill of admiration and appreciation I behold these beautiful productions of your art. The portrait of Lincoln impresses me as being incomparably better than the one now impressed upon the one-cent piece."
The obverse featured a large scale portrait of Lincoln, not unlike Fraser's 1911 concept. The reverse showed an oak tree, "...as a symbol because Lincoln was a woodsman...It stands too for strength, ever renewing growth, and unity. Like a nation, it has roots, a trunk, branches, flowers and finally fruit."
Director Ross was so impressed that she convinced the Secretary of the Treasury to permit pattern coins to be struck. Forty-six pieces were coined on May 7, 1952 and another 100 were made from dies of slightly lower relief on June 19. Although Ross, the Secretary and others gave strong support to the new Lincoln cent design, the change was not to occur. Demand for coinage surged and the Mint Bureau could barely keep up with normal production: the project was scrapped in March 1953.
The 146 pattern cents were certified as being destroyed on March 16, 1953, the dies were locked in the Engraver's safe and the models stuck in storage at the Philadelphia Mint. In 1995, numismatist Bill Fivaz chanced to photograph the obverse model.
Photo attached (the obverse model shown, not the reverse) is by Bill Fivaz. It is not known whether the photo is of a galvano or a colored plaster model.
Hmmmm, we don't have oak trees here. No meetings. But we do have the bristlecone pine which is one of the oldest living organisms on earth (some living beyond 5,000 years and grow so slow that they don't even add a growth ring every year). Our roots are older, deeper and our trees are just as beautiful....We in the west, get slighted at every turn.
bob
Dan
I sure hope you can make this. Do you need to have permission from the owner of the plaster? Or can the photos be used to create a die ?
From the other thread
We still have this.
its to almost to bad they mint does not go back in time and use some of the nice artwork like this one here. just a thought
The Saint Gaudens cent was no slouch, either. Maybe @dcarr could do a two-coin set?
Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association
Yes, that "Saint-cent" would have been wonderful!
Apparently I have been metal detecting to close to the trunks and need to spread out a wider circumference, hmm.
Oh yeah ! Wouldn't that be nice to have both issued as a "Could Have Been" set?