Been working on this for three years or so. Here is one of the rough lesson plans. Anyone interested? I believe an image helps tell the story. If you know a publisher who may be interested please let me know! 1893 Isabella Quarter Among coin collectors, the commemorative coins issued by the U.S. Mint supply a wide assortment of designs and denominations to pique one’s interest. These special coins celebrate people, places and events important to American society, and the Isabella Quarter is no exception. The Isabella Quarter was not only one of the first U.S. commemoratives coins, but it was the first commemorative quarter, and the first to feature the portrait of royalty-Queen Isabella of Spain. It was issued in 1893 in conjunction with the Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and celebrates the industrious role of women in society. Queen Isabella of Spain The Exposition was supposed to have opened in 1892 but construction for the fair was behind schedule, and the fair’s opening was postponed until 1893. Ms. Palmer used this opportunity to travel abroad to generate interest in the fair, and her international connections proved to be extremely successful. Not only did she secure a place at the fair to build the Women’s Building, designed by a woman architect, which was to house works by and about women, but she also managed to persuade some of Europe’s female royalty to lend historical materials for display. She also persuaded each of the states to include exhibits of female interest in their state exhibit buildings. Ms. Palmer then turned her attention to Congress’ Appropriations Committee. Following approval of a souvenir Columbian Exposition commemorative half-dollar, to be produced to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America and featuring a portrait of Christopher Columbus, Mrs. Potter lobbied Congress for funding for production of 40,000 commemorative quarters. In keeping with the female theme, she insisted on a female effigy on the coin. Although the standard pantheon of goddesses was considered, Ms. Palmer and her committee felt nothing could be more appropriate than Columbus’ benefactor, Queen Isabella of Spain. In March 1893, the Mint Director Edward O. Leech informed the ‘Board of Lady Managers,’ that the designs should be selected at once and that he would be pleased to conform to the wishes of the Lady Managers in the selection of the designs. Bertha Palmer wanted the new coin designed and sculpted by a female artist and selected a New York sculptor and student of the famed sculptor, Augustus St.Gaudens, Caroline Peddle to create the design. Mint Director Leech was agreeable to this request. In April 1893 Miss Peddles obverse design was approved by Mint Director Leech but no acceptable reverse design was done by Miss Peddle. At that point the Director requested the reverse design be prepared by the designer of the Mint in Philadelphia, Charles E. Barber. The design for the Isabella Quarter features the crowned bust of the young Queen on the obverse. The legend encircling the bust reads UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and the date 1893 is found to the right of the Queen’s image. Mint Director Leech explained the reverse design to Mrs. Palmer as “the reverse features a kneeling female figure with a distaff in hand in the act of winding flax. The distaff is used in art to symbolize patient industry, and especially the industry of woman.” Surrounding the image, on the coin’s border, the inscription reads BOARD OF LADY MANAGERS and COLUMBIAN QUAR. DOL. Board of Lady Managers: 1. Miss Eliza M. Russell, Nevada. 2. Mrs. M. D. Foley, Nevada. 3. Mrs. Mira B. F. Ladd, New Hampshire. 4. Mrs. Daniel Hall, New Hampshire. 5. Miss Mary E. Busselle, New Jersey. 6. Mrs. Ralph Trautmann, New York. 7. Mrs. George Wilson Kidder, North Carolina. 8. Mrs. Charles Price, North Carolina. 9. Mrs. S. W. McLaughlin, North Dakota. 10. Mrs. W. B. McConnell, North Dakota. 11. Mrs. Mary P. Hart, Ohio. 12. Mrs. Walter Hartpence, Ohio The Philadelphia Mint began production on the 40,000 quarters on June 13, 1893 about six weeks after the Columbian Exposition opened. Estimates of somewhere between 40 to 100 proof struck coins were made in addition to three special proof quarters mentioned in documents. These three special documented proofs were coins #400 (for the 400th anniversary of Columbus discovering America), #1492 (the year of Columbus’s discovery), and #1892 (for the anniversary year). These special proofs were presented to the ‘Board of Lady Managers.’ The Womens Building under construction Isabella Quarters were sold as souvenirs for $1.00 each at the Women’s Building on the fair grounds. Even though an estimated 27.5 million visitors (a quantity equal to about 25% of the population of the United States) attended the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, only a small quantity of the quarters sold. The Women’s Building was not as frequently visited as many other at the exposition, and apparently potential purchasers complain about paying one dollar for a twenty-five cent piece, when the Columbian half-dollar also sold for a dollar. 15,809 were returned to the mint with net mintage of 24,191 Isabella Quarters. The Womens Building completed The Isabella Quarter was the first U.S. coin to feature the portrait of an historical female rather than an allegorical image. It was the first commemorative quarter; and, the only U.S. coin to feature a woman on both sides. The Isabella Quarter is a key coin for any collector of U.S. commemoratives coins and has special importance to many women collectors for the meaning of its design. In a review of the World’s Columbian Exposition and the role played by women, The Cosmopolitan magazine wrote in September 1893, “To compare the exhibit of Women’s work with that of previous expositions is to realize that a revolution has been affected, not alone in woman’s position, but in modern civilization
