Which Winged Liberty do you like better Dan Carr MCMVI or National Park Foundation 2016 High Relief?

Paradisefound

Dan said awhile ago that he would have her holding a shield which turned out to be a perfectly balanced art work on the coin...

This is the other variety of the Winged Liberty by The National Foundation...

Paradisefound

close ups...

Gluggo

DC

messydesk

Let me just say that the National Park Foundation one is Not Good™. What organization pinched this one off?

TwoKopeiki

Hmm, going to have to go with neither of those two designs.

Personally partial to this depiction in either gold or silver:

Gluggo

Your in the USA section

One is Ultra Cameo and one is NOT. I am sure if DC were to make a Ultra Cameo and you put it side by side there would be a big difference. But we cant do that.

Zoins

The National Park Foundation version was created by John Mercanti who created the plasters and the UK Royal Mint who took the plasters and minted the medals. I believe all these have some relationship to GovMint.com since they seem to be the ones distributing these.

Here's some info from GovMint.com:

https://www.govmint.com

America's Most Famous Saint Finally Gets Her Wings

The World's Most Beautiful Gold Coin Restored to Her Original Glory at Last

In January of 1905, when Teddy Roosevelt told Augustus Saint-Gaudens that he wanted the famous sculptor to redesign all of America's coins, the eminent artist knew that he could not decline the commission. Augustus Saint-Gaudens worked on his new U.S. coin designs in his studio and home in Cornish, New Hampshire. Today, the Augustus Saint-Gaudens estate is a National Historic Site visited by thousands every year.

The Saint-Gaudens museum on the grounds of the National Historic Site contains a treasure trove of sketches, plaster models, and documents pertaining to Roosevelt and Saint-Gaudens' collaboration. Much of the focus is on the undisputed masterpiece of their efforts: the 1907 $20 Gold Double Eagle.

But, there's a nearly forgotten 'secret' that many visitors to the Saint-Gaudens museum are unaware of - Lady Liberty was supposed to have a feathered headdress...and WINGS!

A Masterpiece Reborn 109 Years Later

Recently, while exploring the archives within the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, we uncovered the rest of the story of the Winged Liberty. Inspired, we immediately began partnering with museum officials to see August Saint-Gaudens' and Teddy Roosevelt's original artistic vision brought to full glory in one ounce of 99.9% pure silver. As collectors ourselves, we were thrilled by the prospect of the original Winged Liberty design finally being struck in spectacular high relief - making Saint-Gaudens original vision a reality at last, after 109 years. Just one major question remained: Who could help prepare Augustus Saint-Gaudens original plaster design for modern high relief striking? There was really only one answer: 12th Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, John Mercanti.

Lady Liberty Deserves Royal Treatment

The Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site recognized that striking these proofs in pure silver would require a world-class mint - one that would be able to capture every nuance of Saint-Gaudens' masterpiece in stunning high relief. Few mints in the world even attempt the striking of high reliefs. But, with over 1,000 years of history and craftsmanship, Britain's Royal Mint was an inspired choice.

After receiving John Mercanti's hand-sculpted plasters for the Wing Liberty proof, the artisans at the Royal Mint set about to bring the design alive in dramatic high relief on this one-ounce silver proof. The results are spectacular! In fact, collectors will be thrilled to discover that the Winged Liberty Silver Proofs are among the highest relief proofs of this kind ever struck by the Royal Mint.

Zoins

My preference is for Dan's version which I have two of so far.

I've considered Mercanti's UHR because of the curvature of the mirrors which I think looks neat, however I haven't gotten around to it yet. It would be nice if Dan made a UHR.

Gluggo

GovMint.com not saying there is anything wrong with this group but they are not one I usually want to buy from anyways. Sort of turns me off because of it.

divecchia

For me it's Dan Carr's version which is a lot like the original design.

For me the original MCMVII High Relief is the prettiest US coin there is, gold or silver.

Donato

Jimnight

Dan Carr MCMVI is my choice!

dcarr

@Gluggo said:
Your in the USA section

One is Ultra Cameo and one is NOT. I am sure if DC were to make a Ultra Cameo and you put it side by side there would be a big difference. But we cant do that.

I usually prefer a satin finish over proof-like. But based on some renderings that I made, I think I will like the Winged Liberty design better in proof-like. In a few weeks I plan to make larger proof-like 39mm 1-troy-oz silver Winged Liberty Clark Gruber pieces. I had to put a consistent basining behind the sculpts for that. Here is what it will look like:

Justacommeman

DC

mark

Zoins

@dcarr said:

@Gluggo said:
Your in the USA section

One is Ultra Cameo and one is NOT. I am sure if DC were to make a Ultra Cameo and you put it side by side there would be a big difference. But we cant do that.

I usually prefer a satin finish over proof-like. But based on some renderings that I made, I think I will like the Winged Liberty design better in proof-like. In a few weeks I plan to make larger proof-like 39mm 1-troy-oz silver Winged Liberty Clark Gruber pieces. I had to put a consistent basining behind the sculpts for that. Here is what it will look like:

That looks great Dan.

A quick question. I've always wondered why you strike proof-likes but no proofs. What else is needed to strike full proofs and do you plan on having the capability in the future?

dcarr

Somehow that GovMint piece doesn't look like John Mercanti work.

@Zoins said:

@dcarr said:

@Gluggo said:
Your in the USA section

One is Ultra Cameo and one is NOT. I am sure if DC were to make a Ultra Cameo and you put it side by side there would be a big difference. But we cant do that.

I usually prefer a satin finish over proof-like. But based on some renderings that I made, I think I will like the Winged Liberty design better in proof-like. In a few weeks I plan to make larger proof-like 39mm 1-troy-oz silver Winged Liberty Clark Gruber pieces. I had to put a consistent basining behind the sculpts for that. Here is what it will look like:

That looks great Dan.

A quick question. I've always wondered why you strike proof-likes but no proofs. What else is needed to strike full proofs and do you plan on having the capability in the future?

With the type of die steel that I use (A2), with each strike the fields become less polished and the devices less frosted (eventually they sort of meet in the middle). Chrome plating might extend the life of the die surface texture (that is what the US Mint does, I believe). I have not investigated doing that. But I can assume that if it isn't done just right it can damage the dies. Years ago I went through a number of heat-treating (hardening) failures and ruined a bunch of dies while trying to figure out how best to do it. I don't want to potentially go through something like that with plating. So instead I can bead-blast and re-polish the dies more often to maintain a higher average "cameo" appearance. However, the higher the relief, and the more dished the fields are, the greater the stresses on the die surface. And this Winged Liberty is pretty high relief with significantly dished fields. Note that even the US Mint's 2009 ultra-high-relief gold pieces don't have a full proof appearance because of the high relief and dished fields. Also note that the US Mint switched from using dished fields on Silver Eagles in 1995 to using flat fields in 1996. This was done to extend the life of the polishing on proof dies.

So my planned Clark Gruber Winged Liberty silver rounds will be proof-like, but perhaps a little less so than some other issues. We'll see.

callawayc7

@Zoins said:

A quick question. I've always wondered why you strike proof-likes but no proofs. What else is needed to strike full proofs and do you plan on having the capability in the future?

I (and probably most people here) would Love to have a Proof broken sword Peace dollar! Maybe in 2021?

Twobitcollector

DC

Bullsitter

DC...no contest.

felinfoel

DC, hands down.

Zoins

@dcarr said:
Somehow that GovMint piece doesn't look like John Mercanti work.

Can anyone get in touch with Mercanti and get more info on this piece? Some photos of his plasters would be great.

Mr Lindy

DC 110%

Still thinking about adding a 1906 Gold DOUBLE EAGLE.

Its pretty appealing, I bet awesome in hand.

Paradisefound

@LindyS said:
DC 110%
Still thinking about adding a 1906 Gold DOUBLE EAGLE.
Its pretty appealing, I bet awesome in hand.
I'll post the picture once I receive it; could not wait.