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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Conder101, post: 4357495, member: 66&quot;]More comments.</p><p><br /></p><p>What happened to the flying eagle?&nbsp; From what I have seen it pretty much came down to disagreements over the birds anatomy, and probably just too much going on at the mint at the time which made it easier to just go with a modified version of what they were already using.</p><p><br /></p><p>The basic design for the obv was approved by the President in early 1836</p><p>(from letter dated 1/12/1836)</p><p>It gives me pleasure to state, that the President approves of the die [xx] transmitted in your letter of the 10th instant: although it is to be regretted that the robe of liberty had not been somewhat higher, and the foot visible, so as to show more distinctly, the design and character of the impression.</p><p><br /></p><p>By April 9 the obv die was done ut the rev had not been started. The description of what it would look like is found in a letter of that date.</p><p><br /></p><p>The die for the reverse is not yet commenced, but I send you the drawing which we propose to follow, - this new sketch being that which we propose. The drawing is true to nature, for it is taken from the eagle itself, - a bird, recently killed, having been prepared and placed in the attitude which we had selected. The eagle is flying, and, like the country of which it is the emblem, it&#039;s course is onward and upward. I propose to follow the letter of the law as to the legend on the reverse, and to introduce nothing but the words &quot;United States of America&quot; around the margin, and the denomination of the coin. The absurdity of the shield sticking to the breast of a bird is avoided, - the shield, with its 13 stripes, being placed with the figure of Liberty, on the face of the coin. The arrows and branch are also removed from the eagles claws, as contrary to nature and good taste. A constellation of stars, equal to the number of states, is distributed irregularity over the sky supposes it to be seen beyond the eagle, - instead of having 13 equal stars stiffly arranged in line around the margin.</p><p><br /></p><p>In a reply on April 11 from the Sec of the Treasury the disapprements about the eagle first start.</p><p><br /></p><p>, that no objections to the proposed emblems is seen worth noticing, except that the attitude of the eagle for flight on its prey is considered best in that way when India inks is used, and for distant flight, that with this view, thou in the last perhaps, the mouth should be closed.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Director responds on the 14th.</p><p><br /></p><p>I am glad to find that our dies and designs for the new coinage meet your approbation.&nbsp; Your suggestion that the mouth of the flying eagle should be closed had also been made known to the artist, and the change was tried; but the effect was thereby injured in two accounts, - first by taking away from the spirited appearance of the bird, and secondly by smoothing down the feathers of the neck, which are never ruffled except when the mouth is open.&nbsp; There has been great difficulty in getting a good design for the eagle.&nbsp; I am confident that not less than thirty sketches have been rejected: indeed we feared, at one time, that the flying eagle would have to be abandoned entirely.</p><p><br /></p><p>On July 5th the Director still isn&#039;t happy withthe eagle.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd, and I send with this mail, a box containing fifty of our new dollars, in compliance with your request.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; You will perceive that they are of the coinage of 1836, and consequently of the old standard.&nbsp; The coinage of dollars has not been renewed, partly because the coin is not so convenient as the half dollar, and partly because I am not satisfied with the eagle.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>After several more trials the rev was finally approved on August 27th</p><p><br /></p><p>The impression of the reverse intended for the new dollar, received in your letter of the 25th instant, is approved.</p><p><br /></p><p>Finally in September the dies are ready. Sept 22, 1836</p><p><br /></p><p>The dies for the new dollar having been sunk by Mr. Gobrecht, and the impressions approved by the Treasury Department, I am accordingly desirous that you shall take without delay, the necessary measures for an early issue of dollar coins. For this object I pray you to have the hubs and working dies prepared, and the proper arrangements adopted, for cutting and milling of the planchets, and coining them in the large screw press, - the pieces being struck in a close reeded or grooved collar.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is the last I have on the dollar coins, but just a few months later the Act of 1837 was passed creating three new Mints and a passel of headaches for the Mint.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>He had no choice, the Act of 1837 specifically omitted the use of the eagle on the half dime and dime.</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot; but on the reverse of the dime and half dime, cent and half cent, the figure of the eagle shall be omitted.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Big surprise, three judges, two of which believed that they were the only person qualified to design the coin, and who had had their designs rejected.&nbsp; It was a forgone conclusion that no one would win this competition.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The law allowed it, but for some reason from reading documents from the mint at the time, it seems they misinterpreted the law to mean that the designs HAD to be changed every 25 years.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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