Future numismatists researching the identities of the designers of the State quarter dollars may get different answers, depending on the sources of their information.
Since the beginning of the program in 1999, the U.S. Mint has only credited its staff engravers who created the models for the coins, by placing their initials placed on the State quarter designs - regardless of whether a state has identified the "designer" or the U.S. Mint paid the designer.
"The policy has been just to have the engravers' initials on the coins because often the design concept is something other people have also submitted," according to Michael White, a spokesman for the U.S. Mint. In many cases, individuals have submitted different versions of the same design theme.
Despite the Mint's policy, many states have taken it upon themselves to honor the "designer" of their states' coin. Massachusetts and Maryland both acknowledged the designer of their respective State quarter dollar in news releases from their respective governor's offices.
Most recently, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois and Arkansas have publicly acknowledged designers of their State quarter design concepts that are currently under review by the Mint. In fact, each of Arkansas' three finalists received $1,000 cash along with their pictures posted on the state's State quarter Web site.
The decision to credit only the engravers and none of the original designers, even when their identities are known, is a change for the Mint. In the 20th century, the Mint generally acknowledged artists by placing their initials on the coins, although sometimes long after the coins were introduced. All of the currently circulating coins feature the initials of their designers, although in the case of Felix Schlag, designer of the Jefferson 5-cent coin, his FS initials were not added to the coin until 1966 (the coin was introduced in 1938).
Twenty-five years ago while America was in the midst of celebrating its 200th anniversary of independence from England, 1776-1976 Bicentennial of the American Revolution coins were in circulation. Each of the three nonstaff designers were credited with their initials on their respective reverse coin designs.
The difference with the Bicentennial coins and the State quarter dollars is that the Mint initiated a design contest for the Bicentennial coins but left the selection of State quarter designs up to the governors of each state.
The Mint has also solicited designs for noncirculating commemorative coins in much the same way as it did for the new Sacagawea dollar - in invited design competitions. Most commemorative coins, even when designed by artists outside the Mint, and the new dollar coin, bear the initials of their designers (and sometimes of the engravers as well).
That's certainly the case with sculptor Glenna Goodacre, designer of the obverse of the Sacagawea dollar. Her G.G. initials appear on the obverse of the coin.
Like other nonstaff artists contributing winning designs for new coins, Goodacre was paid for her design; in April 2000, she received her $5,000 commission in the form of 5,000 Sacagawea dollars. In less than a year Goodacre has parlayed half of the 5,000 dollar coins into a $300,000 to $350,000 bonanza, with a potential windfall for the remaining coins she still has of an additional $1.6 million to $2 million at their current retail value. The coins have sold for as much as $1,000 each on eBay, with the current retail value settling around the $800 level.
Now, private entities are following in Goodacre's footsteps in offering versions of two State quarter dollars crediting their designers and bearing the artists' signatures: Daniel Carr, designer of the 2001 New York and Rhode Island quarter dollars, and Eddy Seger, whom some recognize as designer of the 1999 Delaware quarter dollar.
Carr was among 14 artists invited to submit designs for the reverses of the 2001-dated State quarter dollars in addition to the Mint's engraving staff. The design competition for the 2001 State quarters was a pilot program to supplement the engravers and the engraving staff. Mint officials say they do not anticipate having to do this in future years of the State quarter program.
The premise was to select 10 artists from among those who submitted designs for the Sacagawea dollar, with each designer requested to submit at least one design for each of the five states. Also asked to participate were current and ex Mint staff.
Carr - a mechanical engineer from Colorado - is the only artist other than a Mint engraver to have his quarter dollar designs accepted. The Mint paid Carr $2,500 for each design.
Although the Mint paid Carr for his work, it did not credit him as designer. The engravers' initials appear on the coins, but not those of Carr.
Recently, ICG certified 10,000 Philadelphia and Denver Mint New York quarter dollars with Carr's original signature. ICG is certifying the authenticity of Carr's original autograph accompanying these State quarters. The signature is on the insert label. ICG is sonically sealing each signature with the coin in the ICG holder. ICG is not selling these coins, nor is ICG grading these coins. The certification fee was paid by a third party that submitted the coins.
Also following in Goodacre's footsteps is the State Quarters Club, the brainchild of coin dealer Les Fox. The club is offering a "small number" of the 1999 Delaware quarter dollars accompanied by Seger's signature. Fox describes Seger as the designer of the Delaware quarter dollar. According to Fox, "The Delaware quarter joins the ranks of two other coins which have been certified as 'artist editions'"; Fox specifically names the Sacagawea dollars sold on behalf of Goodacre and Carr's New York quarter dollar.
Seger was first identified as designer of the Delaware quarter dollar in early 1999 by the public information office of the United States Mint.
However, Delaware officials, after reading the Editorial in Coin World's Feb. 15, 1999 issue identifying him as the designer, disagreed. They submitted six design sketches with the same theme - Caesar Rodney on horseback - to help Coin World understand that no one person should be credited with the design concept. Seger's design, in the version submitted to Coin World, depicted the horse and Rodney moving to the right with an outline of the state of Delaware behind them. The finished coin depicts the horse and Rodney moving to the left, and lacks the state outline. The other designs given Coin World by Delaware officials in 1999 depict the same theme: Rodney atop a horse, some facing left and some facing right, with and without a state outline.
The Delaware coin bears William Cousins' initials; he is the Mint engraver who engraved the models for the coin.
Under the practice being followed with the State quarters, future numismatists may have to face not knowing who deserves original credit for many of the designs.
