Week Fourteen

 

Coin News: 2015 National Park Quarter Designs Released

The U.S. Mint released the designs for the 2015 America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. They were chosen by the Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee, and approved by the Secretary of the Treasury on July 29, 2014. The designs are as follows:

 

Nebraska: Homestead National Monument of America

 

Louisiana: Kisatchie National Forest

 

North Carolina: Blue Ridge Parkway

 

Delaware: Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

 

New York: Saratoga National Historical Park

 

We look forward to these designs, as well as those of the Great Sand Dunes and Everglades National Parks that are scheduled for release later this year. For more information, visit news.coinupdate.com/2015america-the-beautiful-quarters

 

Coin of the Week: Grace Coolidge Gold Coin

Grace Anna Goodhue was born on Jan. 3, 1879, in Burlington, Vermont. She lived a fulfilling life, and began teaching the deaf in 1902, becoming close friends with Helen Keller. She first saw her future husband, John Calvin Coolidge, while he was shaving on a balcony wearing only long underwear and a hat. Grace burst out laughing, and Calvin, as he was known, retained his sense of humor, and arranged to be introduced. They were married in 1905. While Calvin did not like big public parties, Grace ensured that he saw plenty of excitement. When Calvin was running for Vice-President in 1920, he relied on his wife for relief from the stress of campaigning. Calvin and  Senator Warren Harding made the election, and when President Harding died in 1923, Calvin Became president. Grace was a bubbling change from Mrs. Harding, who was very strict. Grace owned several pets, like raccoons, cats, dogs, birds, and lots more. She never forgot her work as a teacher for the deaf, and was one of many first ladies who were tireless advocates for the underprivileged. This gold coin is a part of the First Spouse series, and depicts Grace Coolidge on the obverse, while the reverse shows three hands signing “U.S.A.”, with the White House in the background.

Grace Coolidge Gold Coin

Coins are available from the U.S. Mint, but if paying $400 is a little out of your price range, bronze medal versions are being made of every gold coin, and will later be available by individual or in set purchase.

 

 

Amazing Artists: Joseph Bailly

Out of the many forgotten coin designers, one of the highest on the list would be Joseph A. Bailly. Maybe it’s because he didn’t have the prestige of the Barbers, or the talent of Morgan, or the modernization of Gasparro. But whatever the reason, Bailly has been lost to history.

He was born between 1823 and 1825 in Paris, France, the son of a cabinet maker. When he was about 22, he was drafted into the army to fight in the French Revolution of 1848. He apparently didn’t like this plan. Bailly deserted and fled to England. He studied sculpting there, the did a bit of traveling. After going to the U.S. and the to Argentina, he settled in Pennsylvania. He made many sculptures, and in the 1870’s he was commissioned by the U.S. Mint to create possible designs for the Trade Dollar. Though his designs were very nice, the mint eventually chose the seated Liberty design by William Barber. Bailly moved on, and continued producing some of the finest statues and sculptures in America. He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1883 at the age of about 61.

Bailly’s Seated Liberty Trade Dollar

 

Bailly’s Liberty Bust Trade Dollar

 

 

Coins and the Law: American Liberty Circulating Commemorative Program

This section covers a modern bill that has not yet been passed. In 2013, the American Liberty Circulating Commemorative Program was introduced. This program would allow the mint to strike dimes, quarters, and half dollars with modern portrayals of Liberty. In 2015, if the bill is passed, the mint will make Liberty dimes alongside the Roosevelt dimes. In 2016, the dime would go back to normal, and the quarter would have a Liberty design, along with the National Park Quarters. In 2017, the quarter would revert to just the National Parks, and the dime would have a new Liberty design, and so on. The half dollar would get one Liberty design in 2015, would be made alongside the Kennedy coins for ten years, and then the Liberty coin would get a new design. But before all this can happen, the bill needs to become law. So I urge you, if you live in the U.S., write to your congressmen/women, and ask them to support this bill! It’s bill number is H.R.2535. If you don’t live in the States, watch for designs. I will post them as soon as they come out if the bill passes!