Today's Rarity, Yesterdays Modern

DesertRat

I was doing some research online and stumbled on this article from page 5 of the Christian Science Monitor dated August 25, 1909

I thought some of you might find it interesting to see what people were saying about "moderns" in 1909.

It is a bit difficult to read so I translated below.



Plea Justifying New Coins Raised

New York - Numismatists of this city are protesting against the action of the treasury department in removing the initial of the designer from the new Lincoln pennies. Dr. Horatio R. Storer in an open letter to Victor D. Brenner, writes;

"It seems to me that both for coins and medals, an artists initials or signature are just as requisite as a painters name upon a canvas. In both instances they are valuable, historically and otherwise, as well as increasing the pecuniary worth."

PLEA JUSTIFYING NEW COINS RAISED. (1909, August 25). Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current file), Retrieved April 21, 2007, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers Christian Science Monitor (1908 - 1993) database. (Document ID: 281905992).

garsmith

Modern coin bashing circa 1909, I guess people never change!

RichieURich

The irony is that the removal of Brenner's initials made him much more famous in the numismatic world than if they had kept the initials as is. If they hadn't removed the initials, people wouldn't be looking for 1909-SVDB cents!

DesertRat

<< <i>The irony is that the removal of Brenner's initials made him much more famous in the numismatic world than if they had kept the initials as is. If they hadn't removed the initials, people wouldn't be looking for 1909-SVDB cents! >>



A little later on in my research an article came up about the 1913 Buffalo nickel and the letter "F". It caused quite an uproar it seems

FLBuffaloHunter

I read that since Breener was paid by the government for he work he did, people felt his initials should not be on the coin and is why they were removed.

cladking

A lot of people complained that the initials were just too prominant.

People have always panned the new designs. Sometimes they set them aside
in large quantities but they still complain that it doesn't measure up to the old
design.

GoldenEyeNumismatics

Modern Crap!!

Zoins

Does this mean if people made a ruckus about something they didn't like about the GW$, the design would have been changed and create a modern rarity for the original design?

Longacre

Pretty interesting. thanks for posting.