The Lightning Decision to Place FDR on the Dime-Attachment Heavy
JCH22
Posts: 441 ✭✭✭✭✭
Just some basic background on the rapidity of the redesign of the dime to honor FDR.
FDR passed from a cerebral hemorrhage on April 12, 1945.
Eighteen days later, Mint Director Nellie Ross wrote to Secretary of the Treasury Morgenthau as follows:
Morgenthau, a close confident, to the extent that FDR had any, kept detail records of his tenure as Treasury Secretary. The issue of placing Roosevelt on the Dime was brought up on at a Treasury Meeting on May 8, 1945:
Although against the idea, but apparently not against taking credit for it, Morgenthau wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt for her approval that same day:
Treasury thereafter conducted a survey of public opinion. Those comments are a bit extended, and are contained in the attached pdf.
Ultimately the dime was released well within a year of FDR’s passing- by succeeding Treasury Secretary Vinson (later Supreme Court Chief Justice):
Comments
Very interesting! Thank you.
Interesting. I glanced over the public reactions. "A War Mother" got it right.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Who do you think wrote this?
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
I'm thinking it might have been Mr. Bell or the mentioned "Fitzgerald" since Morganthau seemed to learn of the proposal in the meeting and Bell was directed to ask the two people whose names were written on the letter.
Yes, thanks @JBK
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
Think JBK nailed it with Bell. Meeting attendees and agenda detailed below. Dime seems to have been an add on issue by staff to an otherwise weighty agenda.