Some History: 1925 Lexington-Concord Sesqui Half Dollar

leeg · March 3, 2018

Been a while since I've done one of these. This new arrival is why I'm doing one now:

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NGC MS-64. No Star?

The Lexington-Concord usually come dull with little lustre due to long-time storage in a wooden box.

162,099 coined, 99 for assay, 86 melted, leaving 162,013 outstanding, which sold at one dollar each. Designed by Concord artist Phillip Holden and modeled by Chester Beach. Distributed by Mr. Harold E. Orendorff,

the Chairman of our Publicity Committee, for the town of Lexington and the Hon. Judge Prescott Keys for the town of Concord.

Issued to commemorate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, authorizing an appropriation to be utilized in connection with such observance,

and for other purposes.

Description:

Obverse: The Minute Man, reproduction of statue at Concord, to right; around border, at top, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; left field, CONCORD MINUTE MAN; right field, IN GOD WE TRUST;

at bottom, around border, *PATRIOT HALF DOLLAR*.

Reverse: Reproduction of Old Belfry at Lexington, below the words, OLD BELFRY LEXINGTON; as a band around border, LEXINGTON-CONCORD SESQUICENTENNIAL; at bottom, 1775-1925.

“After the conspicuous success of the Monroe Doctrine coin, the Mint authorities actually recommended Chester Beach for new memorial issues. Thus, in December 1924, when Congress was considering legislation for a Battle of Lexington half dollar, the Lexington town committee asked the artist whether he would design their coin.¹⁰ This led to a protracted discussion of fee (sponsoring committees are occasionally parsimonious when dealing with sculptors), after which Beach accepted the job at a reduced rate.

10. The coin was authorized on January 14, 1925. Taxay, p. 79.

Beach soon discovered that he was dealing with two committees, the latter of whom was celebrating the sesquicentennial of the Concord fight. In a letter of February 2, 1925 Judge Prescott Keyes, chairman of the Concord committee, wrote to the artist:

Dear Sir: After consultation with Mr. H.C. Blake who has been in correspondence with you as to a plaster model of the Lexington-Concord Sesquicentennial coin, I am sending you herewith the suggested design for the Concord side.

Mr. Blake I understand is sending you the suggested design for the Lexington side.

I shall send you to-morrow a more carefully executed design for each side. Very truly.

This letter was followed by another, on the 3rd, from Edward Stone, attorney for the Lexington town committee:

Dear Mr. Beach: On leaving you, I sent a night-letter to the Acting Director of the Mint in Philadelphia inquiring of him the least possible time required by the Mint for cutting the dies and producing coinage, to give you the time for preparing the model, and this morning I have received a wire as follows:

‘Require between three and four weeks from receipt of approved model to reduce model in steel and prepare dies.’

I assume that you know what this means.

I will report to my Lexington Committee tonight and have a formal letter sent on by them, together with the Concord Committee, by which the terms agreed on between you and me and by the correspondence will be carried into effect; that is, that for twelve hundred and fifty dollars ($1250) you will do the necessary work of preparing the model and guaranteeing its approval by the Fine Arts Commission, and will go about it at once so that there will be no delay.

I understand that this agreeable also to the Concord Committee, and I have requested them to forward you immediately such a copy of the Concord Minute Man as they desire to have you use on the coin.

The coin, as I told you, will have on one side the Concord Minute Man and the legal language required, as you pointed out, ‘United States of America,’ ‘In God We Trust,’ ‘1925,’ ‘Half Dollar.’ On the Lexington side will be a reproduction of the old belfry, the photograph of which should have reached you by this time, and the words ‘Old Belfry Lexington,’ and around the rim ‘Lexington-Concord Sesquicentennial, 1775-1925.’ I understand that you are to see the sculptor, Daniel Chester French, to see whether he is agreeable, or has nay objection, to the addition of the words on the Concord side ‘Minute Man Concord,’ or something of that sort.

I am sending a copy of this letter to Honorable John w. weeks Secretary of War, who is Chairman of the Commission upon the part of the Federal Government, as I have already telegraphed his to cut all the ‘red-tape’ so that the approval, which you say is necessary to be given by Secretary of the Treasury Mellon, may be given at once.

I am sending copies of this letter also to Mr. Hallie C. Blake, the Chairman of our Finance Committee in Lexington, and to Honorable Prescott Keyes, the Chairman of the Concord Committee. Yours very truly.

Beach received this letter the same day, and at once replied:

My dear Mr. Stone: I have seen Mr. Fraser and Mr. French, Mr. Fraser says the Commission of Fine Arts has just had a meeting, and they will not have another for a month from now; but he thinks he may be able to call together four of the men here and pass on the model, and then it could go to Mr. Mellon and if he is there it could be passed at once. He thinks about three weeks is the shortest producing time at the mint. The Head Engraver¹¹ whom I saw last year has died, and there is a new man¹² in charge, but he does not think that would delay cutting. This works out better than I thought, for time. It does not allow for delay, however, and I am rushing ahead to get my end under way.

11. George Morgan. Taxay, p. 85.

12. John Sinnock. Taxay, p. 85.

If you will stop when you come to New York-and let me know when as soon as you can-I will have the full size lay-out of the models. I have not received the photograph of the Lexington Belfry.

I saw Mr. French this morning; he spoke of his correspondence with Mr. Keyes, and expressed himself pleased that I was to make the coin. He gave me a photograph of the Minute Man, a very good view and one he likes.

The wording, which I repeat for O.K., is, on the obverse side: United States of America. In God We Trust. Minute Man, Concord. Half Dollar. 1925. On the reverse side: Lexington-Concord Sesquicentennial. 1775-1925.

I have just received a letter from Mr. Keyes, in which he encloses a design and says he will furnish another in detail. The wording is different and the design, while alright for a medal, is totally unsuited for a coin; and lettering would be unreadable when reduced. Please O.K. my wording. There is no coinage date on Mr. Keyes’ design. Do you want the word ‘Patriot?’

I have this same view of the Minute Man, from Mr. French, which I will use.

Please rush the photograph of the Belfry. Yours sincerely.

[P.S.] All spacing of design and lettering must be left to me if I am to assume the responsibility of the models passing the Fine Arts Commission, which is composed of the finest body of talent in the country

Letter from the Lexington Town Committee to Chester Beach concerning the Lexington-Concord Half Dollar. Courtesy of Stacks Bowers Galleries.

Stone, writing again on the 4th, approved the legend, asking only that the words ‘Old Belfry Lexington’ be added to the appropriate side. On the same day, Concord artist Philip Holden sent improved designs to Beach, which were followed, on February 5th, by a letter of instructions from Judge Keyes:

Dear Mr. Beach: This letter is to commit in a formal way the Town of Concord to a payment to you of $625, in accordance with the letter of Edward C. Stone, Esquire, to you dated February 3, 1925.

I have before me your letter to him of February 3.

I am very glad indeed that you are in direct communication with Mr. Fraser and Mr. French.

I think you are mistaken in thinking that ‘1925’ must appear on the obverse side.

It¹³ does not appear on the Huguenot-Walloon or the Pilgrim coin both of which I have before me.

13. i.e., the date. Taxay, p. 85.

If not required on them, why on the Lexington-Concord coin? The dates ‘1775-1925’ on the reverse side show plainly enough the year of coinage.

On one of them the ‘Huguenot’ precedes the words ‘Half Dollar’ and on the other the word ‘Pilgrim’ precedes the words ‘Half Dollar.’

This precedent was what led me weeks ago to suggest ‘Patriot Half Dollar.’

In 1894 when April 19 was made a legal holiday in Massachusetts, Governor Greenhalge issued a proclamation naming the day ‘Patriot Day.’ From this came to me the idea of ‘Patriot Half Dollar’ and this was agreed to by both Mr. Stone and Mr. Blake. The Concord Committee is unwilling that the word ‘Patriot’ should be omitted.

When Concord agreed with Lexington that the words ‘Old Belfry Lexington should go on the reverse side, it was agreed that the words ‘The Concord Minute Man’ should go on the obverse. The public in these two towns are sometimes pretty sensitive about petty matters and so Mr. Stone and I have been very particular to come to an agreement as to all the details. It follows therefore that the words ‘The Concord Minute Man’ must go on even if unreadable.

I should be much interested to learn wherein the design of the Concord side ‘is totally unsuited for a coin.’ Perhaps you will write me on that phase of the subject.

Of course I agree with you that ‘all spacing of design and lettering must be left to you’ but this cannot mean any changes in the wording which has been a matter of agreement between the two committees.

I suppose you will receive to-day the more carefully executed design about which I wrote you February 2. Personally I should be very glad to see the thirteen stars omitted which appear on the obverse of that design. I like better the smooth surface of the Pilgrim coin. My views are shared in by many of my Committee.

I suppose you have the Pilgrim and the Huguenot and other coins in your studio.

Some dozen years ago we had a model of the Minute Man about three feet high made in bronze for the Gunboat Concord. Replicas of this were put on sale.

I am wondering if you would not find one in New York, perhaps in the Metropolitan. Very truly.

Beach replied on the 6th:

Dear Mr. Keyes: I have your letter and have also the detailed drawing of the Concord side of the coin. I referred only to the size of the details on your first rough sketch.

I am using the word ‘Patriot, and am leaving out the 1925. I think it might be wise to have all the wording O.K.ed by the proper authorities in Washington; then that question would not have to come up for discussion by the Commission of Fine Arts.

The Wording as I now understand is:

Obverse side: United State of America, In God We Trust, Concord Minute Man and Patriot Half Dollar.

Reverse side: Lexington-Concord Sesquicentennial, Old Belfry, Lexington and 1775-1925.

Sincerely yours.

In a letter of February 11, Keyes submitted his final suggestions on the design:

Dear Mr. Beach: Last evening Mr. Harry B. Little, who is the Architect of the Washington Cathedral, was looking at Mr. Holden’s design along with a group of artists.

He made these suggestions which I am passing along to you but of course merely as suggestions, feeling that very likely they have been in your mind all along.

1. The Minute Man is too high on the circle; it can be brought down by removing the words ‘Concord Minute-Man’ from under it.

2. The words ‘The Concord Minute-Man’ could then go on the left almost on a line with his right hand and balance the words ‘In God We Trust’ but higher up as the plow handle comes in on the right.

3. Omit the stars or put them on the reverse.

4. Put ‘April 19’ between ‘1775’ and ‘1925’ on the reverse, throwing the year dates up on each side and this leaving the sides less bare.

Mr. Harold E. Orendorff, the Chairman of our Publicity Committee and the man who will have charge for the Concord National Bank of the distribution of the coins, is to be in New York this week Saturday and will call upon you.

He has been most helpful in all matters relating to our celebration especially the coin. May I bespeak for him a friendly reception on your part? He expects also to see our Townsman, Mr. French. Very truly.

In preparing the designs, Beach adopted the first three suggestions but omitted the April 19th date, utilizing the space to bring the rest of the legend to its proper size. The artist labored day and night to complete his models which were submitted to the Commission of fine Arts on February 24. The following day, Fraser wrote to Moore:

My dear Mr. Moore: I have seen the final models for Mr. Beach’s Lexington Coin.

He has done as well as could be expected with the material that the Committee required him to use. It is very creditable piece of work, and I gave it my approval. But I think something should be brought to bear, through either the Secretary of the Treasury, or the Director of the Mint, on the people instigating the new coins, so that they would not force an artist to use unmedallic material, but rather allow him to select from available resources a choice which would make a beautiful coin.

This is a very important point, and either makes or ruins a coin though the best technician executes it. In this case, the Committee has used Mr. French’s ‘Minute Man’-a tall and slender figure-a beautiful cone, but without sufficient volume to make a handsome spacing possible in a circle; on the opposite side a block house, which is or an unmedallic character.

I speak of this at this time, because it occurs to me that there should be on record in the office of the Director of the Mint, a statement to this effect: That a medalist should be allowed to use symbols as he best knows how to use them in filling the spaces of a medal or coin, and that he be allowed ample time to execute his models. Cordially yours.

P.S. This record could be put with the list of names of medalists.

Fraser’s ideas were paraphrased in a letter written by Moore to Mint Director Grant on March 5. In subsequent years, a number of similar appeals were made by the Commission, with what little effect, the reader will judge.”¹

¹ An Illustrated History of U.S. Commemorative Coinage, Don Taxay, ARCO Publishing Co, Inc., New York, 1967,

p. 79-80, 85-88.