What did George T. Morgan design?

Comments

• RWB Posts: 8,082 ✭

  October 23, 2008 1:01AM

  The standard silver dollar of 1878 was the only circulating coin George Morgan designed. He created several interesting and very attractive pattern designs (and a couple of really ugly ones, too). He also did the reverse of the Columbian half, collaborated on the reverse of the Panama Pacific half dollar and McKinley dollar with Barber, and all or part of many Assay Commission medals and other US Mint medals. After Charles Barber was appointed engraver in January 1880, Morgan accepted the role of assistant engraver and the two collaborated on many designs that were later attributed solely to one artist.
  
  Perhaps Morgan’s greatest accomplishment was not known until 2005 with publication of Renaissance of American Coinage 1916-1921. In this book we learn that Morgan removed a broken sword from the reverse hub of the Peace dollar on December 23, 1921. In accomplishing this, he also created a new olive branch, and modified the eagle’s talons and the mountain top. This complicated, highly detailed work was done under the observance of Anthony de Francisci, who had designed the coin. The engraver saved the coin from failure and allowed it to be produced in 1921 as demanded by the Harding administration. Morgan’s work was so skillful that no one knew of it for 90 years!
  

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• coindeuce Posts: 13,496 ✭✭✭✭✭

  October 23, 2008 1:10AM

  Morgan also designed some privately minted commemorative medals. I have a commemorative to U.S. Grant which is signed by Morgan. I'll post pics whenever I find it.

  "Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
  http://www.american-legacy-coins.com

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• PerryHall Posts: 46,877 ✭✭✭✭✭

  October 23, 2008 1:45AM

  
  
  << <i>........collaborated on the reverse of the Panama Pacific half dollar........ >>
  
  
  
  Didn't he also design the reverse of the Pan Pac $2 1/2 gold?

  Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
  "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
  "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

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• RWB Posts: 8,082 ✭

  October 23, 2008 2:04AM

  All the mint documents I've located give the $2.50 to Barber, solo. But, the two evidently cross-worked a lot more than we once thought. I suspect the $2.50 was actually Barber’s $50 design just scaled down when Aitken's was finally accepted. The $2.50 has a lot of similarities to a PPIE medal design Barber made in 1915. (See Renaissance of American Coinage 1909-1915 for images of the designs, etc.)

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