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High Relief Medal Beautiful in Proof
11 months ago, on July 13, the U.S. Mint announced (http://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2015/07/united-states-mint-nixes-high-relief-silver-medal.html)
that it would not be producing a companion high-relief silver medal to go with
its $100 American Liberty high-relief gold coin, which sold out of its entire
50,000-coin mintage.
As I explained in a column last year, this program was the
brainchild of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee under the leadership of
former Chairman Gary Marks, which envisioned an ongoing series of high-relief
gold coins and silver medals of the same design with the theme of modern images
of Liberty.
The Mint decided to use the 2015 design for a 2016 silver
medal, which still has no release date.
But today after my colleague Paul Gilkes published a story (http://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2016/06/american-liberty-high-relief-silver-medal-on-horizon.html)
about production of the medals at the West Point and San Francisco mints and
photos of the medal, Gary Marks said that he is “super excited” about the 2016
silver medal, and that he worked “hard along with members of my committee to
revive images of "Liberty" on U.S. coins and medals. This silver
medal is the result of our efforts.”
“I am super excited now because it was so difficult to make
this happen and there were numerous times I was almost certain we had failed or
that the program was headed in a hopelessly wrong direction. I am most excited
that Mint leadership finally followed the Committee's recommendation to produce
this medal as a silver proof (rather than an uncirculated version). I am very
pleased also that plans to produce another silver Liberty medal are in the
works for 2017. Hopefully these Liberty medals will become an annual series
(also a Committee recommendation). It is my further hope that collectors will
support this program with strong sales as a demonstration to the Mint's
leadership team and key Members of Congress that "Liberty" does
indeed sell.”
“Ultimately I want Miss Liberty to be restored to our
circulating coinage. A successful medals program might help give that challenging
goal a much needed push. Congratulations are in order to the following artists
who together created the artwork for this medal: Justin Kunz, obverse designer;
Phebe Hemphill, obverse sculptor; Paul C. Balan, reverse designer; and Don
Everhart, reverse sculptor. Outstanding work all!”
In correspondence with Gary, I told him I really feel the
design works so much better in the proof format than the business strike used
on the 2015 gold coins. This is because
the contrast between the frosted design devices and the mirrored background fields
work much better than the matte finish of the business strike gold coin in
translating Justin Kunz and Paul Balan’s excellent designs into stunning
high-relief medallic art.
And he agreed, responding: “These designs were meant for
proof. From the beginning the Mint folks saw the Liberty program as a book end
to the 2009 UHR St. Gaudens which had the business strike finish. I was
disappointed to see last year's gold Liberty coin follow the same route. CCAC
members kept pushing the idea that a proof finish would make the difference
between a well-received program and a super-charged success.”
“With these silver medals now in the works with proof finish
with "S" and "W" mint marks I will be curious to see how
many sell. I hope the Mint takes the same approach as they did with the 2011
National 9/11 Silver Metal and offer these Liberty medals for a defined time
period for sales rather than with a capped numerical limit. A mintage cap would
be a big disappointment since it would deny all of us from seeing how popular
the program might be if allowed to seek its own sales level.”
I would add that a lot of people who said they did not like
the design last year are very likely going to have a different view when they
see the new medals. These truly are
modern classics, and as Gary said, let’s hope that this program helps to
encourage new circulating Liberty-themed coins, another proposal of the CCAC
under his leadership.