It wasn't just Barber. The Chief engravers have ALWAYS consider the designing of the coins to be THEIR jobs, and they have held onto their positions tenaciously. Reich was hired to be Scot's assistant in 1807 because they felt his health and eyesight was failing and that he would soon retire. Instead he stuck around until he died in 1824. And when Reich gave up and left in 1817, Scot redid almost all of the coins that Reich had done.
Gobrecht was hired as an assistant to Kneass because of his failing health. After Gobrecht was hired Kneass had a stroke but he still wouldn't leave and stayed until he died in 1840.
Seeing a trend? Quiz time, The Mint stated in 1792, who was the first chief engraver NOT to insist on sticking around until he died in office?
The Mint was practically a family run business from the start. The Eckfelt's and their family relations held posts and key posts in the mint form 1792 until the last one left in the 1930's. They had a lot of say over who worked at the Mint. This was one of the reasons Longacre was so disliked. Rather than proving himself to the "Family" as being qualified for the position of Chief Engraver, he used political pull to get the position. (He wasn't qualified and the Mint insiders tried for years to get him removed.)
The Barbers, both father and son, also felt the position of engraver was theirs and they had a great dislike for Morgan when he was brought in. There was a lot of infighting there and other than the
Morgan dollar he was pretty much relegated to medal design until the barbers were gone. But at least Morgan worked for the Mint.
The Coinage Act of 1890 opened the door for new designs for the
US coins and the Treasury had a great idea, have a competition for the new designs! Barber wanted none of that! HE was the person who should be designing the coins! Well fortunately the invited artists behaved like spoiled children so it looked like the competition was off. Nooooo, instead they opened it up to everyone! How to stop it now? No problem there will be three judges, one who doen't care, a major sculptor who felt that HE was the only person qualified to design the coins, AND CHIEF ENGRAVER
Charles Barber! With that panel, this competition was dead before it ever started. Only one entry even got an honorable mention. SO the Treasury through up their hands and told Barber that he should go ahead and design the coins himself, which was what he wanted all along.
So naturally he resented Brenner. He resented Saint-Gaudens as well (who was also the second judge in the 1890 competition) He resented Bigalow/Pratt, Fraser, MacNeil, and Weinman. (Obviously after the dime quarter and half he gave us they weren't going to let him do any more designing.) And when Morgan finally got his chance after waiting 41 years to get the position, he wound up resenting De Francisci.
It sounds like these folks were all pretty petty, especially Barber. But he did have valid complaints. With the exception of Frasier NONE of these outsiders had experience with or understanding of the problems with designing a coin that could be struck up well with a single blow of the high speed press. The designers turned in breahtaking totally unworkable designs and Barber had to try to make them work, and caught all the flack about how he was ruining their wonderful designs. Is there any wonder he resented them?
Suggested reading, Roger Burdette's wonderful trilogy Renaissance of American Coinage 1907-1908, 1909 - 1913, and 1916 - 1921. Discover all of the behind the scenes difficulties in the creation of some of the best loved US coin designs.
Posted 07/07/2010 12:56 pm
Charles Barber succeeded his father, William Barber, as Chief Engraver so a Barber was in charge from 1869-1917. One might think that they own the place after being around for half a century and that would lead to natural conflicts, especially with designers who might be more talented artistically.
Sincerely, John Leckrone
