I had heard that there was some bad feelings about the whole idea of taking the designs away from Barber and TRs input into the process. TR was emblematic of that time in our nations history, he was enthusiastic, adventurous, and headstrong. Barbers designs were the ones being replaced, and there were many technical problems with the coins. Barber was a technician more than an artist, but Barber to his credit was able to make the coins work. The SLQ type 1 also had to have some redesigns, the original patterns included dolphins, the date wore easily, the nudity, (if it can be called that on a coin) was seen as decadent, it would be a wonder if the coin had not degenerated after all the patching up that was done after its first issue. Also the controversy probably added to the coin being saved in numbers more than usual. Most of the designers that TR brought into designing our nations coins were actually sculptors, Barber was in my opinion more a journeyman than an artist. TRs redesign initiative started with the redesign of the gold coins, Laws of the time made a 25 year limit before a coin could be changed, so Barbers coinage lasted until 1917.
Ted left office in 1909. SLQ-1917. More Woodrow Wilsonish time wise but I'm sure Ted's influence with redesign of US coinage still prevailed.
