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Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee 801 Ninth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20220 C CAC Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee Public Meeting March 13, 2008 United States Mint Headquarters, 801 9th Street NW, Washington DC, 2nd floor In attendance: John Alexander (via telephone) Michael Brown Bill Fivaz Arthur Houghton Rita Laws Gary Marks Rick Meier Mitch Sanders (Chair) Donald Scarinci 1. The chair called the meeting to order at 9:10 A.M. 2. Edmund Moy, Director of the United States Mint, presented to the committee the Mint’s plans for an Ultra-High Relief Gold coin. 3. Director Moy explained that in 2009, the United States Mint will produce a 24-karat oneounce gold coin featuring Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ 1907 double-eagle designs. The aim of the program, as described by Director Moy, is to bring closure to the past of American coin design, thereby allowing the Mint to concentrate on the future of American coin design. 4. Director Moy, along with Cynthia Meals of the United States Mint, indicated that the coin would be produced with a diameter of 27 millimeters, the same size as the experimental double-thickness pieces of 1907, to facilitate the achievement of high relief. The coin will also depart from Saint-Gaudens’ original by including IN GOD WE TRUST on the reverse. 5. CCAC members were uniformly enthusiastic about this program, and there was a consensus that the Ultra-High Relief coin would be very popular in the numismatic community. 6. The committee voted unanimously to recommend the Ultra-High Relief coin program as presented. 7. The committee later voted 6-0, with two abstentions, to recommend that the obverse design should include 50 stars, rather than the original 46, to reflect the contemporary United States. 8. Ms Meals then presented candidate designs for the reverse of the 2009 one-cent piece commemorating the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. Specifically, the designs reviewed were for the coin honoring Lincoln’s Presidency in Washington DC. 9. The CCAC had previously reviewed candidate designs for this issue in September 2007, and at that time voted to respectfully request reconsideration of the concepts, and to recommend that new designs should depict Lincoln as war President. After another review of candidate designs in January 2008, the CCAC recommended a design featuring a Civil War cannon, without the standing image of Lincoln. 10. Ms Meals explained that based on feedback from the CCAC and the Commission of Fine Arts, and input from the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, the United States Mint decided to prepare another set of designs, containing some designs previously seen by the committee, and others that had been modified since their original presentation. 11. CCAC members once again expressed concern that the image of the uncompleted Capitol Dome on designs LC-R4-01 and LC-R4-03 would not present an understandable symbolism. 12. Several members expressed disappointment with the entire set of designs presented. Design LC-R4-04, which shows Lincoln standing with the completed Capitol Dome in the background, attracted the most favorable comments. This design was considered by several members to present a clear and meaningful image, with a combination of elements that would work reasonably well in the context of a small coin. 13. Each member rated each design by assigning 0, 1, 2, or 3 points, with higher numbers indicating more favorable ratings. With nine members present and voting, the maximum possible point total is 27. 14. The committee recommended design LC-R-04, which received 14 points. The committee’s second choice, LC-R-06 (Lincoln at Gettysburg), received 6 points. No other designs received substantial support from the committee. 15. The committee also voted unanimously to recommend that the designer’s initials on the obverse (V.D.B. for Victor David Brenner) should be emboldened on the Lincoln Cents issued in 2009. 16. Kaarina Budow of the United States Mint then presented candidate designs for the Louis Braille Bicentennial – Braille Literacy Commemorative Silver Dollar, to be issued in 2009. 17. There was significant support for obverse design #10, which committee members generally felt conveyed Braille’s intelligence, confidence, and energy. This design was the committee’s top choice, with 21 out of a possible 27 points. The committee’s distant second choice was design #10. 18. As specified by law, the candidate reverse designs include the word “Braille” in Braille code. In response to a question from the committee, Ms Budow explained that it would not be possible to include additional inscriptions in Braille, due to the requirement that the Braille code on the coin should be consistent with standard specifications for Braille code. 19. Discussion of the Braille coin’s reverse centered around design #5. Members commented favorably on the quality of the artwork, especially the expression on the child’s face and the incorporation of the words “LITERACY” and “INDEPENDENCE.” 20. Design #5 was the committee’s preference, with 21 points out of a maximum of 24 (one member did not vote). Design #4, with 7 points, was a distant second. 21. There being no further business, the chair adjourned the meeting at noon.
