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Alternative Reverse Mint Pattern for the Eisenhower?
rooksmith
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I Found this text this on the web (wilipedia) ... but I never heard about the "patterns" before the IKE dollar...
Anyone with info , speak up! Pictures
Congressman Bob Casey of Texas introduced a bill into the House on October 29, 1969 calling for a circulating commemorative dollar to honor both Eisenhower and the Apollo XI space flight, mankind's first landing on the moon. More than a year of political wrangling was to follow before this bill was finally approved in a modified form. Along the way, the U.S. Mint prepared an alternative reverse design featuring a heraldic eagle that looked, in the words of noted numismatic author Q. David Bowers, like something one would find on a Mint pattern of the 1870s. Reportedly, one of the two proposed reverse designs (probably the Apollo XI image, given its implications for the world's future) originally featured an eagle whose expression the U.S. State Department feared other nations would interpret as hostile. Whether the eagle which ultimately did appear on the coin's reverse is a "friendly" bird is difficult to ascertain from its neutral expression
Anyone with info , speak up! Pictures
Congressman Bob Casey of Texas introduced a bill into the House on October 29, 1969 calling for a circulating commemorative dollar to honor both Eisenhower and the Apollo XI space flight, mankind's first landing on the moon. More than a year of political wrangling was to follow before this bill was finally approved in a modified form. Along the way, the U.S. Mint prepared an alternative reverse design featuring a heraldic eagle that looked, in the words of noted numismatic author Q. David Bowers, like something one would find on a Mint pattern of the 1870s. Reportedly, one of the two proposed reverse designs (probably the Apollo XI image, given its implications for the world's future) originally featured an eagle whose expression the U.S. State Department feared other nations would interpret as hostile. Whether the eagle which ultimately did appear on the coin's reverse is a "friendly" bird is difficult to ascertain from its neutral expression
“When you don't know what you're talking about, it's hard to know when you're finished.” - Tommy Smothers
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...here's some stuff, doug. linky
Experimental pieces were struck first from Peace dollar dies, then the Eisenhower design in .800 silver and 12-sided and 11-sided small versions. None of these seem to survive.
<< <i>Based on press and limited archival accounts, the original moon landing eagle had more character and strength than the adopted design. The final eagle looks like it hobbled out of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” and contributes to the overall bland, mushy design. Ike’s bald pate (like Ben Franklin’s) didn’t help a bit and the hard, dull CuNi metal only made things worse. Frank Gasparo’s work wasn’t any better on the Liberty Cap obverse he first proposed, and the ugly overflowed into the Susan Anthony mess.
Experimental pieces were struck first from Peace dollar dies, then the Eisenhower design in .800 silver and 12-sided and 11-sided small versions. None of these seem to survive. >>
Not to mention the ridiculous-ness of an eagle on the moon without a proper space suit.
Ike dollar fans disagree, and that's fine...and I'll continue to give them whatever research info I find on the Ike and Anthony coins.
Barber, if memory serves correctly. I was in the Chief Engraver's office before the final reverse
design was adopted and Frank showed me the prototype moon landing reverse at the same time
as the original reverse.
The moon reverse was, for some reason, somewhat controversial. After I returned home I got a call
from the Mint Bureau which said, in essence, that Gasparro was not supposed to have shown me
the moon reverse and would I please say nothing to anyone. I did not but the word got out anyway
and there were demands for the Apollo reverse to be used and it was.
Denga
Based on press and limited archival accounts, the original moon landing eagle had more character and strength than the adopted design. The final eagle looks like it hobbled out of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” and contributes to the overall bland, mushy design. Ike’s bald pate (like Ben Franklin’s) didn’t help a bit and the hard, dull CuNi metal only made things worse. Frank Gasparo’s work wasn’t any better on the Liberty Cap obverse he first proposed, and the ugly overflowed into the Susan Anthony mess.
Experimental pieces were struck first from Peace dollar dies, then the Eisenhower design in .800 silver and 12-sided and 11-sided small versions. None of these seem to survive.
The Chief Engraver told me, when he showed me the prototype Apollo reverse, that there
were problems with the State Department over the design. The Treasury had shown a plaster
to someone at State and that department was concerned about offending some of the Latin
American governments. It seems that the eagle looked too fierce and State thought that our
coinage would somehow threaten Latin America, an idea that Gasparro found amusing.
I did not hear anything further on the State Department complaint but I suspect that Gasparro
was told to soften the design as well as, perhaps, make other changes, possibly accounting
for RWB's comment about the original Apollo design being the better choice.
Denga
I'm wondering if there are any photo's of the rejected patterns around?
Actually I rather like the Frank Gasparo reverse, but never understood why they had so many die varieties.
Thanks Denga,
I'm wondering if there are any photo's of the rejected patterns around?
Actually I rather like the Frank Gasparo reverse, but never understood why they had so many die varieties.
I would assume that photos exist but I do not have any. I asked about photographing both of the
reverse models I saw in the Chief Coiner's office but he indicated that this was not possible
because of the controversy.
Denga
<< <i>The original reverse design, by Frank Gasparro, was reminiscent of an 1870s pattern eagle by
Barber, if memory serves correctly. I was in the Chief Engraver's office before the final reverse
design was adopted and Frank showed me the prototype moon landing reverse at the same time
as the original reverse.
The moon reverse was, for some reason, somewhat controversial. After I returned home I got a call
from the Mint Bureau which said, in essence, that Gasparro was not supposed to have shown me
the moon reverse and would I please say nothing to anyone. I did not but the word got out anyway
and there were demands for the Apollo reverse to be used and it was.
>>
Thanks for the info.
I remember there was talk in '69 that some countries might feel a sort
of inferiority complex that we got their first. Earlier there had even been
talk that the Soviets might find it provocative.
There was some speculation, even justified, that the Soviets might attempt
to detonate a nuclear warhead on the moon before Apollo XI could get
there in an attempt to steal some of our thunder.
<< <i>
Thanks for the info.
I remember there was talk in '69 that some countries might feel a sort
of inferiority complex that we got their first. Earlier there had even been
talk that the Soviets might find it provocative.
There was some speculation, even justified, that the Soviets might attempt
to detonate a nuclear warhead on the moon before Apollo XI could get
there in an attempt to steal some of our thunder. >>
Sergei Korolyev died in 1966, he was the USSR's primary rocket designer and was responsible for the Sputniks, Luna and then putting Yuri Gagarin the first man in space up. After his demise the USSR suffered quite a setback in space exploration that pretty much put an end to their moon programme. The USSR did not really make strides in space exploration again until the Salyut and Soyuz programmes and then Mir - which despite the negative American press, was one of the most successful programmes ever in space until the Mars Rover programme by NASA. Back on topic, Sergei Korolyev is the subject of recent Ukrainian and Russian commemorative coins for the centennial of his birth.
My presentation on this topic at the August ANA Convention will be included in our first Ike book, an atlas of collectible Ike Varieties, which will be published in time for the August Boston 2010 ANA Convention. I hope. Rob
Questions about Ikes? Go to The IKE GROUP WEB SITE
It's existance suggests that at least two different designs made it into production in 1971.
The name is LEE!
My presentation on this topic at the August ANA Convention will be included in our first Ike book, an atlas of collectible Ike Varieties, which will be published in time for the August Boston 2010 ANA Convention. I hope.
Looking forward to the history. Seems like theres always a little politics involved in the coin design, but this is interesting. There seems to be an UEV (unfriendly eagle variety) that never was.
It's existance suggests that at least two different designs made it into production in 1971.>>
What? No mention of the proof artwork, incuse touchup Variety II (of III) of 1972 P?
Its existence shows three different design varieties made it into business strike production in 1972.
That makes four business strike varieties in 1971-1972 and 1973 made 5 with the introduction of a high relief obverse.
<< <i><<What? No mention of the Friendly Eagle Variety RDV-006?
It's existance suggests that at least two different designs made it into production in 1971.>>
What? No mention of the proof artwork, incuse touchup Variety II (of III) of 1972 P?
Its existence shows three different design varieties made it into business strike production in 1972.
That makes four business strike varieties in 1971-1972 and 1973 made 5 with the introduction of a high relief obverse. >>
We're talking 1971 Herb.
The name is LEE!