Did the tension between outside artists and the early 20th century mint help to produce better coins
Longacre
Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
I have been reading Burdette’s Renaissance of American Coinage 1909-1915 book. One of the things that I like best about the book is the color and flavor that Burdette gives us about the tension between outside sculptors and various persons at the mint, like Barber.
For example, you can just sense the exasperation that Barber must have felt when dealing with St. Gaudens or Brenner, who were not coin engravers, but rather sculptors and artists. There are several items of correspondence in the book which provide first hand commentary by Barber about these issues. It is very enlightening.
In the book, Burdette states, “As had happened with the Saint-Gaudens coins (and would occur again in 1916), the mint staff were being accused of inability to make reductions of hubs of the highest quality from models by outside artists. Barber complained that the relief was too high, or the field radius was incorrect, or that the artists did not understand that fine detail would be lost during the reduction process. … For their part, the artists persistently failed to listen to Barbers admonitions about excessive relief. They felt the mint should be able to do whatever a private company or the Paris Mint could do, and refused to supply models with lower relief or more deeply cut detail.”
*******
Today, the mint uses outside artists for the statehood quarters, but I believe that all of the engraving is done by mint engravers. I am also not sure if the models produced by the artists today are actually used to make the reductions for the coins, or whether they are simply engraved by the mint personnel. Maybe someone like dcarr can comment on that process.
Regarding my question, does anyone think that the tension that was present between outside artists and the early 20th century mint produced a better coin than we have today? In other words, did the tension between the parties result in a better work of art than would occur if the mint totally got their way, or the artist completely got their way? Has the elimination of that tension today been the prime cause for the uninspired designs that we currently have?
For example, you can just sense the exasperation that Barber must have felt when dealing with St. Gaudens or Brenner, who were not coin engravers, but rather sculptors and artists. There are several items of correspondence in the book which provide first hand commentary by Barber about these issues. It is very enlightening.
In the book, Burdette states, “As had happened with the Saint-Gaudens coins (and would occur again in 1916), the mint staff were being accused of inability to make reductions of hubs of the highest quality from models by outside artists. Barber complained that the relief was too high, or the field radius was incorrect, or that the artists did not understand that fine detail would be lost during the reduction process. … For their part, the artists persistently failed to listen to Barbers admonitions about excessive relief. They felt the mint should be able to do whatever a private company or the Paris Mint could do, and refused to supply models with lower relief or more deeply cut detail.”
*******
Today, the mint uses outside artists for the statehood quarters, but I believe that all of the engraving is done by mint engravers. I am also not sure if the models produced by the artists today are actually used to make the reductions for the coins, or whether they are simply engraved by the mint personnel. Maybe someone like dcarr can comment on that process.
Regarding my question, does anyone think that the tension that was present between outside artists and the early 20th century mint produced a better coin than we have today? In other words, did the tension between the parties result in a better work of art than would occur if the mint totally got their way, or the artist completely got their way? Has the elimination of that tension today been the prime cause for the uninspired designs that we currently have?
Always took candy from strangers
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
0
Comments
My guess would be that this is why these beautiful coins were ultimately replaced by the more boring designs that replaced them. Rather than trying to address the issues and find a reasonable marriage of form vs function, after the problems they encounterd in the teens and 20's, Mint officials took the easy way out, with less intricate designs
<< <i>Longacre - did you read any of Burdette's other books in this series? How does this one compare? I read 1916-1921 and really enjoyed it, especially because that era spawned some of my favorite designs. Ihave been thinking of getting this one too. >>
Yes, I've read the others and they are great. For kicks, type "book review" in the search box on the first page and you will see some of my reviews.
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)