Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Paul_62, post: 1617104, member: 41669&quot;]from wikipedia (everybody&#039;s favorite source...)</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #000000"><font face="sans-serif">The coin stems from the desire of the Columbian Exposition&#039;s organizers to gain federal money to complete construction of the fair. Congress granted an appropriation, and allowed it to be in the form of commemorative half dollars, which legislators and organizers believed could be sold at a premium. Fair official </font></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ellsworth" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ellsworth" rel="nofollow">James Ellsworth</a><span style="color: #000000"><font face="sans-serif"> wanted the new coin to be based on a 16th century painting he owned by</font></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_Lotto" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_Lotto" rel="nofollow">Lorenzo Lotto</a><span style="color: #000000"><font face="sans-serif">, reputedly of Columbus, and pushed for this through the design process. When initial sketches by Mint Chief Engraver </font></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_E._Barber" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_E._Barber" rel="nofollow">Charles E. Barber</a><span style="color: #000000"><font face="sans-serif"> proved unsatisfactory, fair organizers turned to a design by artist </font></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olin_Levi_Warner" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olin_Levi_Warner" rel="nofollow">Olin Levi Warner</a><span style="color: #000000"><font face="sans-serif">, which after modification by Barber and by his assistant, </font></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_T._Morgan" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_T._Morgan" rel="nofollow">George T. Morgan</a><span style="color: #000000"><font face="sans-serif">, was struck by the Mint.</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #000000"><font face="sans-serif"><br /></font></span></p><p>I understand Barber is responsible for the obverse, Morgan responsible for the reverse.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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