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<p>[QUOTE="leeg, post: 3497997, member: 17073"]The saga continues:</p><p><br /></p><p>“T<b>o the Acting Director of the Mint Mary O’Reilly from the Vice President of the First National Bank of Hudson John Evans on June 12, 1935, regarding delivery of the Hudson, New York, Sesquicentennial Half Dollar.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>The Mayor of the City of Hudson, Hon. Frank W. Wise, has informed me that he authorized you to send the coins being minted in commemoration of the founding of the City of Hudson, N.Y., to this bank. It is the desire of the Mayor that 6,000 be minted at this time and that 4,000 be minted at a later date if the demand warrants it. We hereby authorize you to deliver these coins to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and enclose herewith copy of our letter to them authorizing payment of the face value and minting charges. If anything is necessary will you kindly communicate with me?”<b>4</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>4<i>The Authoritative Reference on Commemorative Coins 1892-1954</i>. Kevin Flynn, Published by Kyle Vick, 2008, p. 282-283.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>“. . . Beach made a number of preliminary drawings which are shown on the following plate. Working around an embossed Hudson seal at the top left, he sketched his layout for the reverse. The seal itself is scarcely visible in reproduction, but the legends are easily discerned. Below this, the artist prepared a tentative obverse, featuring Hudson’s portrait. To the right, he added two detailed renderings, on a substitute obverse showing the explorer’s flagship, the ‘Half Moon.’ Beach showed his drawings to Wise on May 13, and the following day the Mayor confirmed arrangements:</p><p><br /></p><p>My dear Mr. Beach: This is to confirm our verbal agreement of yesterday afternoon at your studio whereby you consented to sculpture the design for the City of Hudson commemorative half dollar. The cost of the design to aggregate a sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000).</p><p><br /></p><p>It is my understanding that you will also assist us in presenting this design to the proper authorities for immediate approval. I greatly appreciate your offer of assistance in having the design approved as I stated to you the time limit is a vital factor to my sesquicentennial committee.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have also discussed with my executive committee your recommendation as to the head or bust of Henry Hudson. We are perfectly willing to accept your advice on this matter and revert to our original idea of placing the Half moon on the side of the coin in place of the dead as intended.</p><p><br /></p><p>I will stop in your studio some time Monday next to discuss the coin design with you. Very truly yours.</p><p><br /></p><p>Working with unusual dispatch, Beach completed his models in little over a week’s time. The designs closely follow his final sketches although the word ‘Hudson’ has replaced ‘Half Moon,’ and an actual crescent moon now appears to the left of the ship. To expedite the issue, the Medallic Art Company of New York was engaged to make hubs.</p><p><br /></p><p>Dear Mr. Weil: I had heard that there was to be a special commemorative half dollar for Hudson County but did not know what sculptor was making the models, or when they were to be issued. I have not seen the act of Congress authorizing this piece and so do not know just how it may be worked. Ordinarily, the act designates that the design is subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, as well as the approval of the Commission of Fine Arts, which has no doubt already been obtained for this coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>I am well acquainted with the work of Mr. Beach as he has executed several coins before, and has had a great deal of experience with this type of work. Also, I recall that the dies made from his models for coins before were more than usually successful when it came to striking coins from them. As you know, with certain issues we have run into considerable difficulty in producing good sharp coins, because the sculptor was not familiar with the very rigid requirements of modern coinage processes. I have no apprehension on this score with Mr. Beach’s models. Yet the requirements of the act of Congress cannot be ignored as it would only cause serious delay later on.</p><p><br /></p><p>A good margin in height of border is advisable, as a coin has a tendency to spring after release from the collar, throwing some part of the design above the border, although the design is below the border in the die. I have seen this happen a number of times where there was not sufficient allowance provided in the die.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you mean by polished field on the coin, the type of the old style U. S. coins or that of the present British coins and those of several other foreign countries, then this polish must be obtained by what we call ‘basining’ on a zinc curved plate, which revolves rapidly. We do this right along for certain foreign coinages. If the field is simply to be polished by hand on the hardened die, that is quite another matter. The former process gives a much more brilliant finish than could possibly be obtained by the latter method.</p><p><br /></p><p>But to produce satisfactory dies for the basining process would require considerable adjustments in relief by taking the work back and forth between hub and die, because the basin is a severely accurate curve, graduated from a radius as low as 13” to 90”. For this we always lower the field of the hubs considerably below the design and then this excess is taken off the die partly before it is hardened, and the final amount after hardening, when the brilliant finish is obtained by various powders.</p><p><br /></p><p>I would advise against depending upon one pair of dies, although the coinage is small. A die can be damaged too easily in the experimental work necessary in determining the size to cut the planchet and the shape and depth of milling. Before we start coining, we find it necessary with a new design to cut five or six planchets all with slightly different diameters, and milled as nearly as we can guess from the character of the design. These are then tried-out on the coining press. Often we have to cut a number of additional planchets changing the diameters until we get one that makes a perfect piece. Therefore, extra dies for this purpose are always necessary. One or two 1/1000ths. Of an inch in diameter of a planchet can make the difference between success and failure in the coining of a piece. All these problems must be solved before the ingots can be rolled, because they determine the thickness to which the ingot is to be rolled. The weight of the coin has to be held rigidly within a narrow limit.</p><p><br /></p><p>I will give a report on the models just as soon as they are received, and will co-operate in any way that I can to expedite matters. Very sincerely yours.</p><p><br /></p><p>Writing to Moore on the 27th, Beach enthusiastically reported Lawrie’s approval of the models:</p><p><br /></p><p>Dear Mr. Moore: I enclose a photo for your interest and the Commission of Fine Arts’ records of the Hudson Half Dollar models.</p><p><br /></p><p> Mr. Lawrie came in Friday and kindly left me a not, approved, ‘heartily.’</p><p><br /></p><p> I hope they will be a little more interesting than the others I have done, as the seal of Hudson is rather amusing and the Half-moon that I persuaded them to use instead of a non existing portrait of Hudson will make a rich obverse besides being more in keeping with the reverse (Hudson it seems was a whaling port although on the Hudson River).</p><p><br /></p><p>I quote for your record not boastfully as it is mere technique-from the head engraver John Sinnock to Medallic Art Co. here who will cut the dies. We are however sending his a set of plaster models to look over to be sure. quote-‘The dies made from Mr. Beach’s models for coins before were more than usually successful when it came to striking coins from them.’</p><p><br /></p><p>We are also enclosing to the mint one of these photo(s) for them to secure the approval of the Secty of the Treasury after they look over the models. I thought this the best way, but maybe you would like to send him word also. I do not know the exact method, as you will recall all the other orders came through the Fine Arts Commission and I did not have much to do about O.K.’s. All is in a hurry. I have modeled these in no less than two weeks. Sincerely yours.</p><p><br /></p><p>Relying on Lawrie’s verdict, the Commission approved the models the following day. A week later they were authorized for coinage.”<b>5</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>5 <i>An Illustrated History of Commemorative Coinage</i>, Don Taxay ARCO Press, New York City, 1967, p. 161, 162, 165-166.</b></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://oi11.photobucket.com/albums/a195/leeg1957/Book%20Project%20Images/Hudson/New_Sketch_%20Combo.png" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://oi11.photobucket.com/albums/a195/leeg1957/Book%20Project%20Images/Hudson/Chester_Beach_Combo%202.png" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>First set of sketches of the Hudson half dollar by Chester Beach. Taxay p. 163.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Still more to come.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="leeg, post: 3497997, member: 17073"]The saga continues: “T[B]o the Acting Director of the Mint Mary O’Reilly from the Vice President of the First National Bank of Hudson John Evans on June 12, 1935, regarding delivery of the Hudson, New York, Sesquicentennial Half Dollar.[/B] The Mayor of the City of Hudson, Hon. Frank W. Wise, has informed me that he authorized you to send the coins being minted in commemoration of the founding of the City of Hudson, N.Y., to this bank. It is the desire of the Mayor that 6,000 be minted at this time and that 4,000 be minted at a later date if the demand warrants it. We hereby authorize you to deliver these coins to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and enclose herewith copy of our letter to them authorizing payment of the face value and minting charges. If anything is necessary will you kindly communicate with me?”[B]4[/B] [B]4[I]The Authoritative Reference on Commemorative Coins 1892-1954[/I]. Kevin Flynn, Published by Kyle Vick, 2008, p. 282-283.[/B] “. . . Beach made a number of preliminary drawings which are shown on the following plate. Working around an embossed Hudson seal at the top left, he sketched his layout for the reverse. The seal itself is scarcely visible in reproduction, but the legends are easily discerned. Below this, the artist prepared a tentative obverse, featuring Hudson’s portrait. To the right, he added two detailed renderings, on a substitute obverse showing the explorer’s flagship, the ‘Half Moon.’ Beach showed his drawings to Wise on May 13, and the following day the Mayor confirmed arrangements: My dear Mr. Beach: This is to confirm our verbal agreement of yesterday afternoon at your studio whereby you consented to sculpture the design for the City of Hudson commemorative half dollar. The cost of the design to aggregate a sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000). It is my understanding that you will also assist us in presenting this design to the proper authorities for immediate approval. I greatly appreciate your offer of assistance in having the design approved as I stated to you the time limit is a vital factor to my sesquicentennial committee. I have also discussed with my executive committee your recommendation as to the head or bust of Henry Hudson. We are perfectly willing to accept your advice on this matter and revert to our original idea of placing the Half moon on the side of the coin in place of the dead as intended. I will stop in your studio some time Monday next to discuss the coin design with you. Very truly yours. Working with unusual dispatch, Beach completed his models in little over a week’s time. The designs closely follow his final sketches although the word ‘Hudson’ has replaced ‘Half Moon,’ and an actual crescent moon now appears to the left of the ship. To expedite the issue, the Medallic Art Company of New York was engaged to make hubs. Dear Mr. Weil: I had heard that there was to be a special commemorative half dollar for Hudson County but did not know what sculptor was making the models, or when they were to be issued. I have not seen the act of Congress authorizing this piece and so do not know just how it may be worked. Ordinarily, the act designates that the design is subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, as well as the approval of the Commission of Fine Arts, which has no doubt already been obtained for this coin. I am well acquainted with the work of Mr. Beach as he has executed several coins before, and has had a great deal of experience with this type of work. Also, I recall that the dies made from his models for coins before were more than usually successful when it came to striking coins from them. As you know, with certain issues we have run into considerable difficulty in producing good sharp coins, because the sculptor was not familiar with the very rigid requirements of modern coinage processes. I have no apprehension on this score with Mr. Beach’s models. Yet the requirements of the act of Congress cannot be ignored as it would only cause serious delay later on. A good margin in height of border is advisable, as a coin has a tendency to spring after release from the collar, throwing some part of the design above the border, although the design is below the border in the die. I have seen this happen a number of times where there was not sufficient allowance provided in the die. If you mean by polished field on the coin, the type of the old style U. S. coins or that of the present British coins and those of several other foreign countries, then this polish must be obtained by what we call ‘basining’ on a zinc curved plate, which revolves rapidly. We do this right along for certain foreign coinages. If the field is simply to be polished by hand on the hardened die, that is quite another matter. The former process gives a much more brilliant finish than could possibly be obtained by the latter method. But to produce satisfactory dies for the basining process would require considerable adjustments in relief by taking the work back and forth between hub and die, because the basin is a severely accurate curve, graduated from a radius as low as 13” to 90”. For this we always lower the field of the hubs considerably below the design and then this excess is taken off the die partly before it is hardened, and the final amount after hardening, when the brilliant finish is obtained by various powders. I would advise against depending upon one pair of dies, although the coinage is small. A die can be damaged too easily in the experimental work necessary in determining the size to cut the planchet and the shape and depth of milling. Before we start coining, we find it necessary with a new design to cut five or six planchets all with slightly different diameters, and milled as nearly as we can guess from the character of the design. These are then tried-out on the coining press. Often we have to cut a number of additional planchets changing the diameters until we get one that makes a perfect piece. Therefore, extra dies for this purpose are always necessary. One or two 1/1000ths. Of an inch in diameter of a planchet can make the difference between success and failure in the coining of a piece. All these problems must be solved before the ingots can be rolled, because they determine the thickness to which the ingot is to be rolled. The weight of the coin has to be held rigidly within a narrow limit. I will give a report on the models just as soon as they are received, and will co-operate in any way that I can to expedite matters. Very sincerely yours. Writing to Moore on the 27th, Beach enthusiastically reported Lawrie’s approval of the models: Dear Mr. Moore: I enclose a photo for your interest and the Commission of Fine Arts’ records of the Hudson Half Dollar models. Mr. Lawrie came in Friday and kindly left me a not, approved, ‘heartily.’ I hope they will be a little more interesting than the others I have done, as the seal of Hudson is rather amusing and the Half-moon that I persuaded them to use instead of a non existing portrait of Hudson will make a rich obverse besides being more in keeping with the reverse (Hudson it seems was a whaling port although on the Hudson River). I quote for your record not boastfully as it is mere technique-from the head engraver John Sinnock to Medallic Art Co. here who will cut the dies. We are however sending his a set of plaster models to look over to be sure. quote-‘The dies made from Mr. Beach’s models for coins before were more than usually successful when it came to striking coins from them.’ We are also enclosing to the mint one of these photo(s) for them to secure the approval of the Secty of the Treasury after they look over the models. I thought this the best way, but maybe you would like to send him word also. I do not know the exact method, as you will recall all the other orders came through the Fine Arts Commission and I did not have much to do about O.K.’s. All is in a hurry. I have modeled these in no less than two weeks. Sincerely yours. Relying on Lawrie’s verdict, the Commission approved the models the following day. A week later they were authorized for coinage.”[B]5[/B] [B]5 [I]An Illustrated History of Commemorative Coinage[/I], Don Taxay ARCO Press, New York City, 1967, p. 161, 162, 165-166.[/B] [IMG]https://oi11.photobucket.com/albums/a195/leeg1957/Book%20Project%20Images/Hudson/New_Sketch_%20Combo.png[/IMG] [IMG]https://oi11.photobucket.com/albums/a195/leeg1957/Book%20Project%20Images/Hudson/Chester_Beach_Combo%202.png[/IMG] [B] First set of sketches of the Hudson half dollar by Chester Beach. Taxay p. 163.[/B] Still more to come.[/QUOTE]
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