Featured Felix Schlag’s original Jefferson Nickel design

ksparrow · May 17, 2021

My sister has been a tour guide at Monticello (mainly elementary school groups) since she retired as a teacher about 15 years ago. An anonymous donor pays for groups of students from Richmond to tour the house and grounds and also provides a free MS nickel to each. My sister has them study the nickel and then the house and see if they can tell if anything is left out on the nickel (It's that there are 3 "steps" at the base of the dome but at most 2 show up on the coin).

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ZoidMeister · May 18, 2021

This is the most complete set I have ever seen. It includes the originals, the alternates, and the rare and elusive Copper proofs that were created in the setup of the making of the gold strikes.

Total mintage of the copper proofs - three.

Z

Not mine, of course . . .

Z

robec · May 18, 2021

ZoidMeister said: ↑

This is the most complete set I have ever seen. It includes the originals, the alternates, and the rare and elusive Copper proofs that were created in the setup of the making of the gold strikes.

Total mintage of the copper proofs - three.

Z

View attachment 1305716

Not mine, of course . . .

Z
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That’s a great set. I believe those are Stefanie’s (coinsarefun).

ZoidMeister · May 18, 2021

robec said: ↑

That’s a great set. I believe those are Stefanie’s (coinsarefun).
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Yup.

john65999 · Dec 21, 2021

johnmilton said: ↑

In 1938, Felix Schlag won a $1,000 award for his Jefferson Nickel design. Schlag won the award in a competition that involved 390 or over 400 other artists, depending upon your source of information.

Schlag’s victory continued a policy that Theodore Roosevelt had initiated in 1907 when he asked Augustus St. Gaudens to redesign American coinage. St. Gaudens work was ultimately limited to the $10 and $20 gold coins, but it set the trend. From 1907 until 1938, outside artists created all of the new designs for regular issue coins. That string would not be broken until Mint Director, Nellie Tayloe Ross, pushed hard to give John Sinnock the opportunity to design the Roosevelt Dime in 1945-6.

One aspect of Schlag’s success was different. In the past, only one or a small number of artists had been asked to submit designs. In 1907, 1908 and 1909, only one artist was asked submit his proposal (St. Gaudens, Bela Pratt and Victor D. Brenner respectively). In 1916, three artist submitted proposals. Adolph Weinman designed two of the coins, and Herman MacNeil designed the third. In 1921, Anthony de Francisci was asked to design the Peace Dollar. Schlag was unique because he entered a competition.

View attachment 1288979

Recently, engraver, Ron Landis, issued 100 sets of the Jefferson Nickel with original Felix Schlag design. Landis first issued coins like this in the early 2000s for the Full Step Jefferson Nickel Club.

All of the contestants where required to depict Thomas Jefferson on the obverse of the coin and his home, Monticello, on the reverse. Schlag’s design featured a traditional view of the third president and a modernistic side view of Monticello. The Fine Arts Commission, which had a great deal of influence over U.S. coin designs, rejected Schlag’s view of Monticello and required him use traditional Roman lettering instead of the modern print he had used on his original design.

View attachment 1288995

The final design for the Jefferson Nickel featured front view of Monticello. I am not a big Jefferson Nickel collector. This example of the 1942 War Nickel in Proof is the best early Jefferson Nickel that I have have.

Schlag had art client commitments which prevented him from working on the project. This probably explains why the Denver Mint issued 7 million 1938-D Buffalo Nickels. In June, Schlag sat down with Chief Mint Engraver, John Sinnock, and completed the design work on the Jefferson Nickel. The obverse rework resulted in minor changes to the fount of the lettering. The reverse was radically changed with an entirely different view of Monticello. It depicted the front of the building with all of the trees and shrubbery removed.

I have never been a fan of the traditional reverse of the Jefferson Nickel. Critics have likened the reverse of the Lincoln Memorial Cent to a trolly car, and my opinion of the Monticello on the reverse of the nickel is the same. I think that an artist is in trouble when you have put the name, “MONTICELLO” below the building to make sure people can identify it. In recent years, various other reverse designs have appeared on the Jefferson Nickel, and most of them have been improvements.

View attachment 1288996

The final obverse design, left, beside Schlag's original proposal. Changes were made to the lettering and Jefferson's jaw and coat.

View attachment 1288997

The final reverse design (left) beside Schlag's original proposal. In this case the changes were extensive.
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i wish they did look like that, reminds me of a canadina coin..lovely design, i want one now!!!

john65999 · Dec 21, 2021

Lehigh96 said: ↑

Here are what the original Landis productions for the FSNC look like.

They were graded in numbered sets by SEGS.
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how come there are no listings in your eBay store???

Lehigh96 · Dec 22, 2021

john65999 said: ↑

how come there are no listings in your eBay store???
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I am on vacation until New Years Day

leothelion · Dec 28, 2021

This first link is my collection of Jefferson nickels.
Jefferson Nickel Collection for sale. — Collectors Universe

This 2nd link is a great website on Felix Schlag.
Felix O Schlag (felixschlag.com)

And this 3rd link is an audio recording of Felix Schlag himself telling his story on the Jefferson nickel. I hope the link works for you. Otherwise, you can find the link in the above links. Scroll down to February, find the pic of the vinyl record and scroll down a little more to see the link to click on.
www.felixschlag.com/audio/Story_Of_Jefferson_Nickel.mp3

Listening to the man behind the Jefferson nickel is a magnificant event to experience.

Leo

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Featured Felix Schlag’s original Jefferson Nickel design

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Featured Felix Schlag’s original Jefferson Nickel design

ksparrow Coin Hoarder Supporter

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ZoidMeister Hamlet Squire of Tomfoolery . . . . .

robec Junior Member

ZoidMeister Hamlet Squire of Tomfoolery . . . . .

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