Q. David Bowers
USO Designs Selected
The design of Robert Lamb, an artist and calligrapher from Lincoln, Rhode Island, was selected by Secretary of the Treasury Nicholas F. Brady for the obverse of the USO commemorative silver dollar. A sketch sent by the Mint to the Commission of Fine Arts showed the obverse to consist entirely of lettering, except for a banner on which appears USO. Inscriptions included IN GOD WE TRUST, 50th ANNIVERSARY (inscript), USO (on a banner, as noted; with three stars to each side), and LIBERTI 1991.
The reverse design of the USO silver dollar was created by John Mercanti. The sketch submitted to the Fine Arts Commission illustrated an eagle, facing right, with a ribbon inscribed USO in its beak, perched atop a world globe. An arc of 11 stars was in the space below the globe. Inscriptions included UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FIFTY YEARS / SERVICE (on the left side of the coin), TO SERVICE / PEOPLE (on the right side of the coin), E PLURIBUS UNUM, and ONE DOLLAR.
More on the reaction of the Fine Arts Commission was carried in a front-page article by Paul Gilkes in Coin World, which noted: ("Commission Criticizes Coin Designs," January 30, 1991.) "Adele Chatfield-Taylor said she believed the reverse inscription on the USO dollar 'doesn't scan easily' and said the overall design should be simplified. Deputy Mint Director Eugene Essner said the inscription was modified from the initial design because it did not conform to the USO's slogan. The word 'of' was dropped from between 50 YEARS and SERVICE. J. Carter Brown, chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts, commented that he believed 'high school art classes could have come up with better' designs than those submitted. Commission member Robert Peck said everything designed in the United States, whether it is a building or a design on a coin, should be of the utmost quality and 'these don't even come close.'
"Essner noted the Mint has been criticized in the past by not having design competitions and has conducted competitions on recent issues to abate that criticism. Essner said the submitted designs for the two commemorative coins had been reviewed by himself, Mint Director Donna Pope, Treasurer of the United States Catalina Vasquez Villalpando and Deputy Treasurer David J. Ryder before they were sent to Secretary Brady for his preliminary approval. Brown recommended the Mint provide the Commission with a look at submitted designs before they are examined by Brady so the secretary can get a broader representation of views without limiting his final choice to just a few designs.
"Brown noted it is difficult to get qualified artists familiar with working in the medium and suggested the Mint step up its recruitment efforts to attract the best quality artists. Essner said the Mint will continue to contact different organizations to recommend outside artists for future commemorative coin design competitions to augment designs from the Mint's engravers. 'There's a big difference between doing a design going on to a coin and one on a medal,' Essner said. He said medals might involve multiple strikes with annealing in between strikes while commemorative coins may only take two or three strikes without annealing."
A printed statement by J. Carter Brown, sent to Mint Director Donna Pope on January 22, 1991, reflected the view of the Commission of Fine Arts regarding the proposed USO coin: "The design for this coin was considered mediocre at best. Recognizing that the pennant was based directly on the design of the USO flag, it was hoped that there could be at least some refinement in the shape and spacing of the letters. On the reverse, it was unclear whether the motto, beginning 'Fifty Years,' should be read down or across; perhaps shifting the words on the left slightly upward would remove the uncertainty. There is a great multiplicity of lettering styles on this coin; an effort should be made to reduce the number of styles and see that they are compatible."
Sales and Promotion
The USO 50th Anniversary commemorative silver dollar, as it was officially designated, made its debut on Saturday, June 8, 1991, as part of a victory parade and presidential review of the troops returning from the Desert Storm conflict in Kuwait and Iraq several months earlier. In the parade a United Service Organizations (variously referred to in Treasury publicity as the United Services Organization or the United Service Organizations) float depicted "a typical USO performance that could have taken place during Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield." A ten-foot replica of the obverse of the USO silver dollar occupied center stage.
Mint Director Donna Pope noted: "All of us are filled with gratitude and pride for our troops and the heroic job they did in the Persian Gulf. This coin provides everyone with an opportunity to ensure that our service people continue to receive the support they deserve-support from all of us through the USO."
Production of USO Silver Dollars The program, limited only to silver dollars, was to be fulfilled with coins struck at the Denver (Uncirculated finish coins) and San Francisco (proof coins) mints.
Commemorating: 50th anniversary of the United Service Organizations
Obverse motif: Banner
Reverse motif: Eagle
Authorization date: October 2, 1990
Date on coins: 1991
Date when coins were actually minted: 1991
Mints used: Denver, San Francisco
Maximum quantity authorized: 1,000,000
Total quantity minted: Information not available by press time
Quantity melted: Information not available by press time
Net number distributed: Information not available by press time
Issued by: U.S. Mint (Customer Service Center, United States Mint, 10001 Aerospace Road, Lanham, MD 20706)
Standard original packaging: Information not available by press time
Official sale prices: Uncirculated Denver Mint coins $23 through July 26, 1991, $26 after that date; Proof San Francisco coins $28 through July 26,1991, $31 after that date.
Designer of obverse: Robert Lamb (modeled by William C. Cousins)
Designer of reverse: John Mercanti
Interesting fact: The obverse design consisted almost entirely of lettering.