Post Your Coins And Medals With A Design By John Mercanti

I just noticed that I didn't include information about the design process used by Pennsylvania within my State Quarter post above, so I thought I would submit a quick addendum to correct the oversight.

In January 1998, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge created the Pennsylvania Commemorative Quarter Committee and asked the state's residents to submit their ideas for the Pennsylvania quarter. The Committee was tasked with reviewing the design suggestions received and presenting the five best to the Governor.

The Committee had 14 members, selected "from major cultural, conservation, travel, and tourism organizations; a teacher; a high school student; the president of the state Numismatic Society; and the state treasurer." (US Mint release about Pennsylvania State Quarter). The Committee received over 5,300 design suggestions. It reduced this large number to five designs that it presented to Governor Ridge who forwarded them on to the Mint.

The five designs were:

1. An outline map of Pennsylvania with the allegorical figure of Commonwealth at the center and a keystone.
2. The state bird (Ruffed Grouse) at the center, along with the state flower (Mountain Laurel) and the state motto "Virtue, Liberty and Independence."
3. The state flower flanking a keystone with the state bird surmounting the keystone.
4. A scene with William Penn (right) and a Lenni Lenapi Native American (left) shaking hands, with an outline map of Pennsylvania and a keystone in the background.
5. The state bird and state flower.

The Mint, in conjunction with the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee and the Fine Arts Commission, moved forward with designs 1 through 4, dropping number 5. It then sent final artwork for the four accepted designs back to the Governor/Committee for final selection. In July, 1998, Governor Ridge announced his selection (an enhanced version of #1 above). Coin production began in early 1999 and an official launch/release ceremony was held on March 8, 1999.

Fantastic!

Another modern US commemorative coin design by John Mercanti is to be found on the obverse of the gold half eagle of the 2007 Jamestown 400th Anniversary program.

The design presents Captain John Smith (at left) and Native American chief Powhatan in the midst of what appears to be a trade negotiation. A sailing ship of the time is seen in the background between the two figures. Smith was the English explorer who was central to the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 and who would go on to serve as the governor of the Virginia Colony in 1608 and 1609. Powhatan (aka Wahunsenacawh) was the leader of the Powhatan people whose 30+ tribal communities inhabited the area where the Jamestown settlement was founded (i.e., the Chesapeake Bay region of present-day Virginia). One of Powhatan's daughters was the famous Pocahontas; she married Englishman John Rolfe in 1614.

Mercanti's "JM" initials are found at about the 5:30 clock position, embedded in the figure of Powhatan, along the inner circle/rim around the central design elements.

What remains of the Jamestown Memorial Church tower is depicted on the coin's reverse; the tower is historic Jamestown's only remaining above-ground structure. The tower dates to circa 1680. The historic church was fully reconstructed (sans tower) prior to the 1907 300th anniversary celebrations of the Jamestown settlement by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (now known as Preservation Virginia); the tower remains and efforts continue on its preservation. Susan Gamble designed the reverse, US Mint Sculptor-Engraver Norman E. Nemeth was its engraver.

As with the other programs in the modern US series, I purchased the uncirculated version of the coin for my collection - I like the satiny finish of the uncirculated coins (gold and silver) and appreciate the fact that they are far less susceptible to the development of the milky surfaces often seen on proof coins of the series.


2007 Jamestown 400th Anniversary Gold Half Eagle ($5.00)

Here is my contribution another 1984-W $10 Olympic Torch Runner. This one is a Proof in a PCGS holder PR68 DCAM.

James Peed and John Mercanti designed this one, Mecanti working on the reverse alone.








I always liked the symmetry of the 13 stars, 13 arrows, 13 leaves and 13 berries, all to represent the original 13 Colonies.

commems already gave a better history on this coin than I could, in the very first post of the thread.

Mercanti was responsible for the reverse design of the 1991 USO 50th Anniversary silver dollar.

The United Service Organizations (USO) came about as a result of a suggestion made by General George Marshall and the support of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It was chartered by the US Congress on February 4, 1941.

The USO was set up to be a private organization that supported the recreational needs of US uniformed military personnel while they were on leave during active duty. The organization was also meant to boost the morale of those serving (think Bob Hope and his USO shows!).

The USO brought together the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), the Salvation Army, the National Catholic Community Services, the National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board under one cooperative umbrella. The USO continues its mission to the present day. (Side Note: A similar organization, the United Seaman's Service (USS) was created in 1942 to focus on the needs of US and Allied mariners who were not enlisted personnel.)

To learn more about today's USO, visit https://www.uso.org/

Mercanti's design depicts an American Bald Eagle perched on a globe oriented to present North and South America as well as Europe, Africa and a tiny portion of Asia; the eagle holds a ribbon in its beak, the ribbon features "USO" inscribed on it. Eleven stars are presented in an arc below the globe. Mercanti's "JM" initials are found below the inscription "FIFTY YEARS SERVICE" to the left of the globe and just above the topmost star; the inscription "TO SERVICE PEOPLE" is seen to the right of the globe. Combined together, the two inscriptions quote the USO's anniversary theme, "Fifty years service to service people."

The coin's obverse design is fairly simplistic and has drawn criticism over the years. At its center, the design depicts a pennant with "USO" that is flanked by three stars to its left and right. The pennant's design is based on the USO Flag. In calligraphy above the pennant is written "50th Anniversary." Robert Lamb created the design, William C. Cousins developed the models from Lamb's artwork.

Flag of the United Service Organizations (USO)


I bought this one directly from the Mint (as I have with nearly all of the modern commemorative pieces in my collection), picking up the uncirculated version for $23 (the Pre-Issue discounted price) upon the coin's release 30 years ago!

1991 United Service Organizations (USO) 50th Anniversary Silver Dollar

(Image Credit: Image courtesy of PCGS CoinFacts, https://www.PCGS.com.)

I really like the design elements on that Columbus Quincentenary Silver Dollar, but I always thought those to be clouds in the distance behind the ships not a mountain range, as they are reminiscent of storms in the Caribbean seas. If they are indeed supposed to be a mountain range, then they did as well depicting them as whomever designed the early Clark & Gruber Pikes peak gold Eagles and Double Eagles. They look about as realistic.





Compared to what Pikes Peak really looks like:



I also really like how the dollar reverse pulls our past and historical beginnings with exploration into space travel and the future all in one neat design. That is one of the best looking reverse coins we've had in a long, long time IMO of course.

The 1994 US Capitol Bicentennial commemorative silver dollar has long been one of my favorites of the modern series - I love the detail included in the depiction of the US Capitol Dome on the obverse. (I think it helps that I consider the US Capitol to be a beautiful building and an architectural masterpiece!)

John Mercanti, however, was not the designer of the coin's obverse - that privilege was given to William C. Cousins. Mercanti handled the coin's reverse design, which is a rendering of a segment of one of the four stained-glass skylights positioned within the grand stairways of the Capitol's Senate and House wings. At the time of the coin's release, Mercanti commented, "achieving a faithful representation of the original window took more hours and patience than any other coin in my experience." (The Numismatist, November 1994, p. 1519.)

(Side Note: The four windows/skylights referenced above were created by the brothers John and George Gibson for the US Capitol between 1858 and 1861. They are currently awaiting restoration and have been temporarily been removed and replaced in the Capitol with painted acrylic panels that mimic the original designs.)

The reverse design presents a 13-star US Shield at its center, with a Bald Eagle with spread wings surmounting it; the Shield is encircled by a laurel wreath. Three arrows are being clutched by the eagle's right talon, while its left holds the traditional olive branch. From behind the Shield extend four US Flags, two on each side. The flags are more stylistic then faithful renderings, however, as none include the correct number of stars for the time/year the original skylights were created. At the time, the US Flag had 33 stars, but the design within the skylight presents just 12 stars (or fewer) on each flag; Mercanti maintained the flags as originally presented without updating for increased accuracy. Below the Shield is found a pair of olive branches.

I spent a fair amount of time searching the internet for a color image of the stained-glass skylight adapted for the coin's reverse design, but the effort proved fruitless. I then remembered that the Mint produced a special edition set that featured a proof version of the silver dollar and included a small booklet titled, The Capitol: An architectural history. So, I pulled out my set and immediately found the image for which I was looking!

US Capitol Stained-Glass Window Featuring US Shield, Bald Eagle and US Flags


I also imaged the proof coin from the set to present here vs. my uncirculated coin. IMO, the cameo contrast makes the design elements "pop" off the surfaces of the coin and make for an attractive piece.

1994 US Capitol Bicentennial Silver Dollar