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| The Renaissance of United States Coins: 1907-21Indians Come, Indians Go - Part IIIby Tolling Jennings
The United states was in the midst of a massive transformation in 1912. The next year the U.S. would become a world power when its steel production surpassed that of England . More and more people were leaving the farm and moving to the the city in search of a job to make enough "Do Re Mi" to buy a "Tin Lizzy" for a mere $250.00. Jazz, that new "Black Music", could be heard in Chicago and New Orleans . There was still a strong isolationist policy in the U.S. government with the attitude that Europe's problems did not involve the U.S. The coinage of the U.S. was about to undergo yet another change that would produce the most stunning example of a truly "American" coin to ever be produced. Just in case the new design was not ready in time, dies were prepared for the old Barber design with the date 1913.
When the Mint commissioned one of America 's most accomplished artists, James Earle Fraser, to design a new 5-cent coin with a design emblematic of Freedom and Liberty , everyone was in for a fabulous surprise. Mr. Fraser had grown up in the U.S. Midwest at a time when the buffalo were disappearing along with the native people who depended on the great beast for their survival. Witnessing this genocide had a profound influence on young Fraser that influenced him for the rest of his life. His early sculpture entitled "The End of the Trail", executed before he was 20, earned Mr. Fraser an invitation to Augustus St. Gaudens' studio in Paris to study under him, as well as a reputation as one of America 's best up-and-coming artists.
The stay with St. Gaudens had some obvious effects on the young artist. One was a shared appreciation for high relief coins of the ancient style. The legacy of President Theodore Roosevelt and St. Gaudens would carry on in the capable hands of Mr. Fraser with the creation of the "Buffalo Nickel".
Far & Ctr. Lt.: Obverse and reverse of 1913 Type-1 5-cent (matte proof); Ctr. Rt.: Reverse of 1913 Type-2 5-cent; Far Rt.: Reverse 1937-D "Three-legged Buffalo " 5-cents. (All enlrgd.) The obverse of the coin has a composite bust of a male Native American facing right with the word " Liberty " at 2 o'clock , and the date on the shoulder at left. The reverse has the full image of an American Bison ( Buffalo ) facing left, the motto "E Pluribus Unum" and the legend " United States of America " at the top of the coin with the value "Five Cents" at the bottom of the coin. The original Type-1 design has a high relief that made the coin hard to strike up. The fields on both the obverse and reverse have a mottled surface that adds a soft feel to the coin, but that proved hard if not impossible to polish. The value "Five Cents" proved to be too high to withstand wear.
Not to be left out of the "Let's redesign the coin in the middle of its first year of issue" crowd, the coin was altered mid-year by sinking the value into the hill the buffalo stands on, and by flattening and polishing the fields. This created the Type-2 variety. The one detail missing from the coin that caused uproar with the St. Gaudens $20 Double Eagle (see "Indians Come - Indians Go" Part 1) is the "In God We Trust" statement that was required by law. This again harkens back to President Roosevelt's objection to the use of the diety's name on U.S. coins. This would be the last U.S. coin to circulate without the acknowledgement to the diety.
The coin has a look and feel that is hard to explain. At first glance the buffalo is well executed and could be any animal out on the plains. On second look, you might notice that the animal is hanging its head in a stance of depression and resignation. The animal used as the model was the famous Black Diamond who resided at the New York Central Park Zoo in a relatively safe environment while the rest of his kind was being eliminated from the face of the earth. At the time of the creation of this coin, Black Diamond was ill and at the end of his life. Upon his death, Black Diamond was butchered and served up as steaks at a restaurant in New York . Mr. Fraser was well aware of the plight of the buffalo and caught the essence of this in the hanging head that says so much. This speaks not only to the passing of the buffalo but to the passing of a life style that had been active and sustainable for over 10,000 years.
The image of an American "Indian" on the obverse is a composite of three models. Mr. Fraser could not remember who the model was that ended up being the main inspiration for the image. Chief John Big Tree claimed the honour and toured to the end of his days entertaining audiences with his profile and stories. Whoever the model may have been, the image exudes nobility, freedom, confidence and a hidden knowledge that is lost to the modern world.
This coin was an instant hit with the numismatic community. It has remained one of the most popular coin series collected. Matte proofs were produced for the first few years and brilliant proofs for the last two years. Overdates exist as well as a "3-legged" variety resulting from over-polishing a die in 1937. The coin's high relief and its copper-nickel content makes soft strikes the norm. Pristine examples of both the 1913-P Type-1 and -2 can be had for a modest investment and would be a beautiful addition to any collection.
The "Indian" Silver Dollar, 2001 Mintage: 2001-D = 227,131 in MS65; 2001-P = 272,869 in proof.
This design has proven to be so popular that the U.S. Mint used it on a NCLT silver dollar in 2001 that sold out quickly and commands a substantial premium. The Mint has just issued the first of a new bullion series of 1-oz. .9999 $50.00 gold coins using a modified "Buffalo Nickel" design. The legacies of St. Gaudens, Teddy Roosevelt, J.E. Fraser and the American Indian continue to influence United States coinage.
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NovemberA Nazi Assassination Attempt Wound Badge Renaissance of U.S. Coins: 1907-21 Brief Notes on the Roman Coinage of Britain
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