Q. David Bowers
New Coin Designs Wanted
Following the law of September 26, 1890 (the Sherman Silver Purchase Act), a circular was sent in early 1891 to artists and relief designers in the United States inviting designs for the obverse and reverse of the silver dollar and for the obverse only of the half dollar, quarter dollar, and dime, and offering a reward not to exceed $500 for each design accepted. The text of the letter follows:(Text from the Report of the Director of the Mint, 1891, p. 69.)
"CIRCULAR LETTER TO ARTISTS.
"TREASURY DEPARTMENT, BUREAU OF THE MINT, "Washington, D.C., April 4, 1891.
"Under the provisions of the Act of September 26, 1890, authorizing the director of the Mint, with the approval of the secretary of the Treasury, to cause new designs or models of authorized emblems or devices to be prepared and adopted for the coins of the United States, it has been decided to invite designs for the obverse and reverse of the silver dollar, and for the obverse only of the half dollar, quarter dollar, and dime.
"The following are the conditions under which designs will be considered:
"1. They must be presented in the form of models or medallions in plaster, the models to be from 4 to 8 inches in diameter; a separate design to be submitted for the obverse and reverse of the silver dollar, and separate designs for the obverse of the half dollar, quarter dollar, and dime.
"2. The models must be in what is known as 'low relief,' suitable for coins.
"3. Each model submitted must be complete, with the denomination of the coin, and only such inscriptions as are required by law, together with the date (year).
"4. The models must be submitted under seal to the director of the Mint on or before June 1, 1891.
"5. An award not to exceed $500 will be made for each design accepted.
"Full facilities will be afforded at the Mint at Philadelphia to artists who may desire to examine coins belonging to the cabinet of that institution.
"The following is a list of coins for which new designs are proposed, with the diameter and thickness of each ....
"Extracts from the laws prescribing the devices and legends are attached hereto.
"Very respectfully, "Edward O. Leech, "Director of the Mint."
The Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, 1891, told what happened:
"By invitation of the secretary of the Treasury the following gentlemen met in the office of the director of the Mint, in Washington, on June 3,1891, and passed upon the designs submitted, viz: Augustus Saint-Gaudens, sculptor, of New York City; Henry Mitchell, engraver, of Boston, and Charles
E. Barber, engraver, United States Mint at Philadelphia.
"The following is the report of the committee:
"TREASURY DEPARTMENT, "BUREAU OF THE MINT, "Washington, D.C., June 3, 1891.
"DEAR SIR: We would respectfully report that in conformity with your written request we have opened in the presence of the director of the Mint the new designs or models submitted for the silver coins of the United States, under Department circular of April 4, 1891, and have carefully examined the same.
"We are of the opinion that none of the designs or models submitted are such a decided improvement upon the present designs of the silver coins of the United States as to be worthy of adoption by the government.
"We would respectfully recommend that the services of one or more artists distinguished for work in designing for relief be engaged at a suitable compensation to prepare for the consideration of the Department new designs for the coins of the United States.
"Very respectfully, "Henry Mitchell. "Augustus Saint-Gaudens. "Chas, E. Barber.
"I concur in the findings. "Edward O. Leech,
"Director.
"Hon, Charles Foster, "Secretary of the Treasury.
"New designs for the subsidiary coins-the half dollar, quarter dollar and dime-have been prepared, under my direction, by Mr. Charles E. Barber, the engraver of the Mint at Philadelphia, and with your approval have been adopted .... "
Cost of Coinage at the Mints
The Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, 1891, reported on the costs of coinage, not including minor coins, at the four mints: Philadelphia $0.0175+; San Francisco $0.0239-; New Orleans $0.0203+; Carson $0.0564+. Further:
"While it is inequitable to draw comparisons between the relative cost of coinage at the various mints, as exhibited in the above table, for the reason that the character and amount of the coinages executed at them are so dissimilar, it is gratifying to report that the expenses of coinage was considerably reduced as compared with prior years, the cost per piece last year being slightly less than 1 cent, against a cost per piece exceeding 1 cent the prior year, and, exclusive of minor coinage, 2-1/10 cents per piece during the last fiscal year against 2-1/2 cents in the preceding year."
Distribution of Silver Dollars
The Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, 1891, told of the distribution of silver dollars at the Philadelphia Mint: In mint July 1, 1890, $39,448,758; coinage of the fiscal year 14,902,475; in mint July 1, 1891,51,163,675; distributed from mint: 3,187,558.
The Year 1891 in History
In Oklahoma, 900,000 acres of land formerly belonging to Native Americans was made available for white settlement. The International Copyright Act was passed by Congress on May 4th, and gave protection to certain overseas authors whose works were published in America. The People's Party, also known as the Populist Party, had its beginnings in Cincinnati, and advocated the free and unlimited coinage of silver. Throughout the decade of the 1890s, the "silver question" would be America's most burning political issue.
Thomas A. Edison filed for a patent on a motion picture camera. The origin of the motion picture has never been defined with precision, and there are numerous claimants predating Edison, most of whom were from France. Later, Edison would use his patent to become part of the Patents Company, or motion picture trust, and use violence (smashing cameras; harassment) to deter independent firms from entering the field.
Carnegie Hall was opened in New York City on May 5th, the gift of steel baron Andrew Carnegie,who would give tens of millions of dollars to fund public libraries and other institutions. The initial program was of Tchaikovsky music conducted by the composer. In Springfield, Massachusetts, physical education instructor James Naismith invented basketball as a sport for the season between the football and baseball seasons.
In October, the American Numismatic Association was founded in Chicago, when a small group of collectors met at the urging of Dr. George F. Heath, a Monroe, Michigan physician (and town mayor), who published The Numismatist. The A.N.A. would go on to become the world's largest non-profit coin collecting group. David Kalakaua, king of Hawaii, died on January 20th. His portrait appeared on 1883 Hawaiian silver coinage struck at the San Francisco Mint. His successor was his sister, Queen Lydia Liliuokalani, who ruled until 1893, and whose portrait would be used on 1893-dated private patterns produced in England by Reginald Huth.