The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
United States Mint 801 9th Street NW Washington DC 20220 Minutes of CCAC Telephonic Public Meeting June 23, 2020 (9:05 am–2:47 pm) I. Attendance a. CCAC Members in Attendance (telephonic): Thomas Uram (Chairman) Lawrence Brown Sam Gill Robert Hoge Dean Kotlowski Mary Lannin Michael Moran Robin Salmon Donald Scarinci Jeanne Stevens-Sollman Dennis Tucker b. Mint Officers and Staff in Attendance (telephonic): Director David J. Ryder Jim Adler Betty Birdsong Pam Borer Inna Dexter Ron Harrigal Gwen Mattleman Jeff McElroy Joe Menna April Stafford Megan Sullivan Jennifer Warren Greg Weinman c. Members of the Media in Attendance (telephonic): Mike Unser, Coin News d. Others in Attendance II. Annette Amerman, liaison, United States Marine Corps national medal Dean Kamen, liaison, Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Steven McAuliffe, representative for the family of Christa McAuliffe Angelina Rosania (transcribing reporter) Minutes 1. The public meeting was called to order by Chairman Thomas Uram at 9:05 am. Roll was called; Mint staff attendance was recognized; and media attendance was recognized. 2. April Stafford, Chief of the Mint’s Office of Design Management, presented the candidate obverse and reverse designs for the 2021 Christa McAuliffe commemorative silver dollar. 3. April Stafford noted that obverse 04B and reverse 01A were recommended by the Christa McAuliffe coin program’s recipient organization (FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), by The Honorable Judge Steven McAuliffe (family representative), and by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. Judge McAuliffe identified the portrait in obverse 04B as his family’s preference “by a very wide margin,” praising it as a very accurate likeness derived from a favorite photograph. He described it as a thoughtful, quiet, committed, and courageous portrait of his late wife, Christa McAuliffe. For the reverse of the coin, he pointed out the significance of design 01A showing Christa as representing all teachers, and illustrating the universality of the teacher-student relationship. He noted the importance of the inscription “I Touch the Future. I Teach,” and of the seven stars representing the entire crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger. He further observed the significance of including the logo of FIRST, an educational organization devoted to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Mr. Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST, praised obverse 04B as showing precisely what makes a coin recognizable as a coin—a bust portrait—and reverse 01A as being symbolic of inclusion and diversity, and strongly emphasizing Christa McAuliffe’s role as the first teacher in space. 4. The Committee had praise for many of the proposed designs, with strong support of the liaisons’ preferences of obverse 04B and reverse 01A. Dennis Tucker noted that obverse design 04B, while lovely, is a throwback to the Mint’s traditional commemorative profile portraits of 1892 to 1954; and that obverse designs 06 and 06A show more innovation and a modern style of portraiture while still keeping the artistry of a well-crafted likeness. 5. After review and discussion of the candidate designs for the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin program, the Committee recommended the following: obverse 04B (which earned 27 of 33 possible votes), and reverse 01A (which earned 29 of 33 possible votes). 6. April Stafford presented the candidate designs for the new reverses of the silver and gold American Eagle coins, which will debut in 2021. She noted that the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts recommended reverse 02 for the gold coins, and reverse 33 for the silver coin. 7. Committee discussion of the design candidates was robust and wide-ranging, with appreciation for the high quality and diversity of the portfolio as a whole. Donald Scarinci urged against using an “obverse-style” design (one featuring a large central portrait of an eagle) on the reverse. There was a general consensus to avoid overly busy designs; to favor designs that fit aesthetically with the Saint-Gaudens and Weinman art used on the obverses of the gold and silver coins, respectively; and to pay attention to anatomical accuracy of the eagles’ feathers. There was discussion of the dual commodity/collectible nature of the American Eagle coinage program, which encompasses a range of massproduced bullion coins (for investors) and limited-edition numismatic formats (for collectors). Reverses 38 (in particular), 12A, 10, and 02 emerged as preferences of many committee members, with others earning praise, as well. 8. Lawrence Brown made a motion, seconded by Donald Scarinci, to recommend design 02 for the gold American Eagle, and design 12A for the silver American Eagle. The motion failed, seven yeas to four nays. Michael Moran made two motions, each seconded by Dean Kotlowski. His motion to recommend design 12A for the silver American Eagle passed, eight yeas to three nays. His motion to recommend design 38 for the gold American Eagle passed, nine yeas to two nays. Dennis Tucker made a motion, seconded by Robert Hoge, to transpose the two recommendations—to recommend design 38 for the silver American Eagle, and design 12A for the gold American Eagle. The motion passed, six yeas to five nays. The Committee’s final recommendations for the reverse designs were: o reverse 38 for the silver American Eagle, and o reverse 12A for the gold American Eagle. 9. April Stafford presented the candidate designs for the United States Marine Corps silver medal, part of the Mint’s Armed Forces series of medals. She noted that the stakeholder preferences (recommended by General David H. Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, and voiced in the meeting by Annette Amerman, special-projects historian with the Marine Corps History Division) are obverse design 09 and reverse design 12A. She further noted that the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts recommended either obverse design 05 or obverse design 12, and reverse design 12A. 10. The Committee reviewed and discussed the candidate designs, with obverses 03 (showing Marines raising the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima) and 05 (showing two officers, the Marine Corps emblem, and a sword) garnering the most attention, and reverse 12A being recognized as a strong choice. 11. After review and discussion of the candidate designs for the United States Marine Corps silver medal, the Committee recommended the following: obverse 05 (which earned 19 of 30 possible votes (Lawrence Brown having been excused before the break)), and reverse 12A (which earned 27 of 30 possible votes). 12. April Stafford presented the candidate obverse and reverse designs for the Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal. She noted the preferences of the Doby family, as shared by Larry Doby Jr., for obverse design 01A (showing Mr. Doby at Hinchliffe Stadium at the start of his baseball career) and for reverse design 03 or 03A. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts recommended obverse 01A and reverse 03. 13. Chairman Thomas Uram read into the record a letter from Representative Bill Pascrell, Senator Robert Menendez, and Senator Cory Booker, who encouraged the recommendation of the Doby family’s design choices. The Committee thanked the congressmen for sponsoring the legislation for this Congressional Gold Medal, and thanked Larry Doby Jr. for his assistance as representative of the Doby family. 14. Dean Kotlowski and April Stafford observed the importance of the stadium in reverse design 03. While obverse design 01A shows Hinchliffe Stadium in New Jersey, where Mr. Doby began his athletic career as a four-sport competitor, reverse design 03 shows a Major League stadium, representing the height of his career. 15. After review and discussion, the Committee gave its highest ranking for the Larry Doby Congressional Medal to obverse design 01A, which earned 30 of 30 possible points; and to reverse design 03, which earned 23 of 30 possible points. A motion was made by Dennis Tucker, seconded by Dean Kotlowski, to remove the words ACT OF CONGRESS 2018 from recommended reverse design 03, since they would be repetitive of the identical inscription on the obverse. The motion passed unanimously with eight yeas, two abstentions, and one absence. 16. April Stafford presented the candidate obverse and reverse designs for the Steven T. Mnuchin Secretary of the Treasury Medal. She noted Secretary Mnuchin’s personal preferences of obverse design 03 and reverse design 03, which were also the recommendations of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. (The CFA further recommended one amendment: to change the flag on the reverse so it flies to the right, rather than the left.) 17. Donald Scarinci made a motion, seconded by Mary Lannin, to recommend for the Steven T. Mnuchin Secretary of the Treasury Medal obverse design 03, and to recommend reverse design 03 with the flag modified to fly to the right instead of to the left. The motion passed unanimously, with ten yeas and one absence. 18. April Stafford presented the candidate obverse and reverse designs for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Medal. She noted the preferences of the White House liaison, of obverse design 01 and reverse design 10, which were also the recommendations of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. 19. Chairman Thomas Uram made a motion, seconded by Michael Moran, to recommend for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Medal obverse design 01, and reverse design 10. The motion passed with nine yeas, one nay, and one absence. 20. Chairperson Uram invited a motion to adjourn—made by Jeanne Stevens-Sollman and seconded by Robin Salmon—and the meeting was adjourned at 12:05 pm.