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re: daniel carr designing state quarters
Hyperion
Posts: 7,465 ✭✭✭
"Daniel Carr minted many different denominations of a fantasy pattern called the Amero in 2007. Daniel Carr also designed the NY State and Rhode Island statehood quarters reverses. He also had the first lighthouse design concept that the US Mint ended up using for for the Maine statehood quarter. He is a known "entity.""
I know DC designed some state quarters from multiple posts..
what does 'designed' mean ? came up with the elements and configurations ? sculpted and executed ?
there seems to be a substantive (IMHO) gulf between the execution of the dcarr sold coins and what was produced by the us mint. obviously anyone'd have a resouce issue when compared to the federal government, but what does "designed a state quarter" mean ?
thanks in advance
(id be cool to have the actual dcarr respond!)
maybe this process is posted for posterity on his website.. I should check
I know DC designed some state quarters from multiple posts..
what does 'designed' mean ? came up with the elements and configurations ? sculpted and executed ?
there seems to be a substantive (IMHO) gulf between the execution of the dcarr sold coins and what was produced by the us mint. obviously anyone'd have a resouce issue when compared to the federal government, but what does "designed a state quarter" mean ?
thanks in advance
(id be cool to have the actual dcarr respond!)
maybe this process is posted for posterity on his website.. I should check
0
Comments
Apropos of the coin posse/aka caca: "The longer he spoke of his honor, the tighter I held to my purse."
<< <i>Don't they start with a larger plaster or wax design thingie, as a mold, then metal? That's why they call them sculptors, I think. I don't think it's just computer aided design stuff. >>
that's what I thought.. I remember seeing a mint special back in the day where they sculpted, reduced, created the hubs and dies...
so if DCARR produced a concept and someone else executed artistically, that could explain the separation between the CG stuff he currently generates as fantasy coins.. Id be curious how he would direct a full-sculptor if he had the capability to secure one... maybe the amero would be a bit less GC and more 'classic'
Ken
Coins and Medals by Daniel Carr
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Daniel Carr's Proposed Dollar Design Prototypes
<< <i>
<< <i>Don't they start with a larger plaster or wax design thingie, as a mold, then metal? That's why they call them sculptors, I think. I don't think it's just computer aided design stuff. >>
that's what I thought.. I remember seeing a mint special back in the day where they sculpted, reduced, created the hubs and dies...
so if DCARR produced a concept and someone else executed artistically, that could explain the separation between the CG stuff he currently generates as fantasy coins.. Id be curious how he would direct a full-sculptor if he had the capability to secure one... maybe the amero would be a bit less GC and more 'classic' >>
What does CG mean?
Apropos of the coin posse/aka caca: "The longer he spoke of his honor, the tighter I held to my purse."
<< <i>What does CG mean? >>
Computer Generated
-sm
The Maddy Rae Collection
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<< <i>
<< <i>What does CG mean? >>
Computer Generated
-sm >>
Thanks. For some reason I thought he carved these designs, sculpted them I mean.
Apropos of the coin posse/aka caca: "The longer he spoke of his honor, the tighter I held to my purse."
Im going to start submitting designs for territories
Here is a run-down on what I've been doing in the coin design and minting arena.
In 1998 the Mint and Congress were talking about making a new dollar coin to replace the SBA. At that time, I was working in the CG (Computer Graphics) field, writing software, etc. I had an interest in coins (Since the 1970s), an art background (as a hobby), and a BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering. When you put those three things together, you get minting. But in 1998 I was a long way from being able to engrave or mint anything - but I could still design coins on paper. So I decided to do a dollar coin and decided that an Apollo Astronaut on the Moon would be an instantly-recognized symbol for the new coin. I began writing a rudimentary computer sculpting program from scratch. I got enough of it working so that I could sculpt (in 3D, digitally) an Astronaut coin. I also made my program so that I could make a nice "CG" rendering of the sculpted design:
That proposed design was shown on the front page of Coin World on two separate occasions.
But shortly after that, Congress decided that the new dollar coin must portray a woman. The DCDAC (Dollar Coin Design Advisory Committee) was set up and scheduled a meeting in Philadelphia in 1999 to decide what woman to honor on the coin. I was one of several citizens who applied for, and were accepted, to give a 5-minute presentation before the committee. The DCDAC consisted of Mint Director Diehl, Congressman Castle, etc. This was the meeting where some of the Gallery Mint's "One Concept" prototype "Dollar" coins were distributed. Still wanting an aviation/space theme for the new coin, I decided to propose Bessie Coleman (early aviation pioneer) to the committee. An AP photographer took a photo of my design and that photo was shown in many newspapers the next day:
At one point in the DCDAC deliberations (voting), my Bessie Coleman proposal was in second place (Sacagawea was first).
The DCDAC recommended that the Mint conduct a limited invitation-only design competition for the Sacagawea dollar. I made every attempt to get invited to that design competition, but I never did get the invitation. So I crashed the party. I wrote to my Congressman about it, and I submitted designs anyway. I was the only artist who wasn't actually invited but had designs accepted into the competition. Invited artists were paid $1,000 for each design submitted. I was not. But that was ok with me, I just wanted to be in the competiton. My initial Sacagawea design looked like this:
Since the obverse design was related to exploration (of the western USA), I decided to do a reverse design showing exploration (of space). Regulatons required that the reverse must show an Eagle. Artists in the competiton were instructed that they could include the word "Peace" in the design at their discretion.
The Mint later contacted me and requested some modifications and simplifications to my reverse. I obliged and came up with this:
That became one of seven official US Mint finalists for the new coin. But the Mint would not accept it in my printed CG format. I had to submit a hand drawing of it.
Later in 1999, I received an invitation (along with 14 other outside artists and 10 Mint staff) to submit designs for all five 2001 state quarters. This would later be known as an unpublicized pilot program for the Artistic Infusion Program (AIP). I recieved the invitation in the latter part of October. The designs were due by the end of November. During that time, I had a business trip, major surgery, and Thanksgiving. So I ended up with one weekend to do all five. At that time, I had ripped my sculpting program apart for a major re-write and it was non-functional. So I did hand drawings. Each artist was given a list of three to five themes ("narratives") for each coin, indicating what sorts of things the states were looking for. It was Sunday evening and the designs would have to be mailed Monday AM. I had four done and one to go. It was late, so I did the easiest narrative on the list - state outline (with Erie Canal), Statue of Liberty, and "Gateway to Freedom" legend. I kept the original (final) drawing and submitted a photocopy:
So, in this particular case, all I really did was arrange the furniture they had already picked out. But they liked the arrangement so it won.
The Rhode Island narrative was more open to artistic interpretation. It simply said "An ocean vista with a ship or ships". After a round of revisions, the final drawing showed the ship the "Reliance", which was built in Rhode Island and won the America's Cup races in 1903. It was my idea to add the Pell Suspension Bridge to the narrative:
A couple years later, some friends of mine in Maine told me about a design contest being run by the state. We collaborated on the design. They suggested some themes and I did the design (and sculpting). By his time I had refined my sculpting program so I sculpted the design (digitally) in 3-D. Basically, instead of pushing physical clay around with my fingers, I push digital clay around with my mouse. So the designs I do are NOT "computer generated" (implying something automatic is done). But the designs are computer-assisted. The computer is just a sophisticated tool. The final result is dependent entirely upon my sculpting ability and hand movements.
This design was declared the winner by the state of Maine. But nobody knew at the time, however, that the Mint was refusing any and all artwork from the various states. So my artwork was translated into a "narrative" and passed to a US Mint sculptor/engraver. When the final images were released, many people in Maine were not too happy about the changes. The Mint's version reduced the famous "Victory Chimes" to a 2-mast schooner and showed the light tower on a cliff that doesn't exist. A dispute between Maine and the Mint ensued. I stayed out of the fray. At the same time, a well-publicized fracus erupted between the Mint, the state of Missouri, and Missouri artist Paul Jackson regarding changes to that design.
I continued to submit designs to some other states, like this one:
But it became apparent that all avenues to submit artwork for state quarters were closed, unless you were in the Mint's new AIP. I applied for the AIP a couple times. I got the impression that if you didn't have a 4-year art degree, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) would not let you into the highly-competitive AIP.
A few years ago, I perfected the ability in my software to run a computerized engraving machine. And after a two-year wait, I fianlly acquired the engraving machine I wanted.
One thing I did not want to do was to have someone else sculpt and engrave any items I mint. Initially, I started by cutting my coin models in black acrylic plastic. These would function like the Mint's epoxy galvanos. I would send the 8.5" diameter models to various shops to get dies made on their reduction lathes:
More recently, I started cutting dies directly from my digital sculptures. So, essentially, I am doing a digital reduction. I learn something new every time I make one, and so I'm constantly trying to perfect my techniques.
Right now, I'm doing all the die work myself (concept, design, sculpting, engraving, heat-treating, sandblasting, polishing). I send (or take) my dies to a private mint to have items struck under my direction. Later this year, I expect to have some interesting news in that regard.
Here are pictures of various struck pieces that I've made:
John
Never view my other linked pages. They aren't coin related.
<< <i>That one Rollar with the astronaut is still my favorite.... >>
My favorite is the Two Rollers, since it's bimetallic:
Mr Carr, you are one highly talented individual..........you suck!
<< <i>I've said it before and I'll say it again. The astronaut coin needs to be a circulating design. It's a great design. Maybe they'll gain interest in a 40 year anniversary or even a 50 year anniversary of Apollo 11.
John >>
Thanks,
That is why I chose "2009" for the bi-metallic one (40th anniversary of Moon landing).
In about 10 years I hope to get real serious about pushing for a 2019 circulating coin.
<< <i>Mr Carr, you are one highly talented individual..........you suck!
WOO HOO !
My first "you suck" award, thanks.
That's just how I feel about it.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso