Prizes for the October quiz have been sent. We’ve posted the answers here anyway, just in case you were curious.

1. When did Columbus set foot in the New World, and when is his day observed?
October 12, 1492; October 12

2. When did the Age of Exploration begin?
The early 15th century

3. President (Thomas) Jefferson sent a group led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the recently acquired Louisiana Purchase.

4. Do a little more research: Leif Ericson was a Viking. Where was he believed to have been born?
Iceland

5. Which two state quarters pay tribute to the space program?
Ohio and Florida

Good designs are, so far, few and far between in the America the Beautiful Quarters™ Program.

A CLASH OF SYMBOLS
by Ed Reiter

Symbolism.

To critics of the U.S. Mint’s uninspired coin designs, it’s an element sorely missing from the nation’s new coinage in recent years.

Members of both the federal Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) have urged the Mint to return to the allegorical portraits of Liberty and other powerful symbols that graced the greatest U.S. coins of the past, such as Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ stunning double eagle and eagle.

To the U.S. Mint, however, “symbolism” seems to have a whole ’nother meaning. This hit me as I pondered the Mint’s curious claim of trademark protection for the phrase “America the Beautiful” as it pertains to the new Washington quarters honoring national parks and historic sites.

Mint officials have brandished this claim like a club, threatening to bludgeon any dealer or seller of supplies who dares to use the expression “America the Beautiful Quarters” in packaging and marketing the coins.

The only symbols that matter, from the Mint’s point of view–or so it would appear–are ™ and ®, the symbols for “Trademark” and “Registered Trademark.”

If this is the case, why not just stamp one of these symbols on each and every “America the Beautiful” quarter or similar insipid creation? It would be at least as artistic as the fancy outdoor bidet on the Hot Springs quarter or the high-rise molehill on the Grand Canyon coin.

While they’re at it, the crack Mint artists might consider labeling key elements of the designs, so people who get the coins can tell, for instance, which jagged lines are supposed to be mighty mountains and which flat spaces are limpid lakes. As things stand now, one bad design blends into the next like so many ramshackle buildings along Skid Row–hardly the beautiful America they’re intended to depict.

Good designs were few and far between in the 50 State Quarters® Program. The six quarters issued for the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories ranged from tolerable to terrible. But as we near the end of the first year of the America the Beautiful Quarters™ Program, it’s evident already that far from being an American Idol, this is the Biggest Loser.

Not one of the six coins issued or previewed so far is remotely beautiful. Ghastly, garish, god-awful, yes. But it’s hard to imagine any beholder whose eye would find beauty in these.

Come to think of it, there is one group that might find this “artwork” worth a closer look: archaeologists who study the scratchings on the walls of ancient caves.

Mint officials declined a request to be interviewed about the trademark issue. But in a written response, a spokesman told COINage that the Mint applies for trademarks to “protect the integrity and image of its intellectual property, build and enhance its brand identity, clearly distinguish its products from those of private mints and other businesses and identify itself as a component of the U.S. government.”

I’m having trouble figuring out just what “intellectual” has to do with this particular property. And given the dismal designs on recent U.S. coins, I can’t imagine why any private mint would want to be confused with Uncle Sam’s.

Perhaps the Mint’s ineptitude is, itself, a symbol. A sign that in modern society, the overwhelming emphasis is on meeting tight deadlines, not high standards. A sign that with so many different coin programs being authorized, some involving dozens of new issues, quantity is pushing quality out of the picture.

I guess that’s one big reason I view the trademark dispute with especially jaundiced eyes. At a time when it should be focused on creating better designs, the Mint is wasting time and effort playing legal chess games straight out of Alice in Wonderland.

Could it be that the Mint’s lawyers, rather than its artists, are the biggest culprits here? If they used fewer resources tilting at legal windmills, would the artists be more inspired to reach beyond the bland and the banal?

Whatever it is that led us to this unhappy pass, one thing’s undeniably true:

A mint is a terrible thing to waste.

This will be the first of a series of weekend seminars on aspects of the ANS collection, at which scholars and collectors will work in small sessions through parts of the ANS collection.

For Saint-Gaudens enthusiasts, please note, too, that on October 8th & 9th, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be holding a symposium and various

tours in conjunction with their exhibit “Augustus Saint-Gaudens in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.” For more information on this exhibit, visit the ANS Web site.

Effective July 15, Wizard will provide customer contact, fulfillment and product handling of all direct mail and online supply and book sales under a four-month interim agreement.

Orders can still be placed online at www.money.org/shop at MoneyMarket, which will redirect customers to the Wizard Coin Supply online store at www.WizardCoinSupply.com. ANA members also can continue to call the MoneyMarket number at 1-800-467-5725, which will transfer them to Wizard Coin Supply for sales and customer service.

The gold medal is licensed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and was crafted by the Royal Mint. It is one of only 150 made. A medal will be used for each coin toss of the npower Ashes Series, with the five medals then being auctioned. The profits will go to charities nominated by the ECB and the Royal Mint.

Director of Commemorative Coins Dave Knight said, “The 2005 Ashes Series was an amazing occasion for the whole country and we have struck these special medals to give people the opportunity to take home and keep a small piece of what I hope will be an equally incredible series.”

The gold medals are available to purchase for £1,595.00 and come in a special presentation case with a certificate hand-signed by England captain Andrew Strauss.

There are also 50,000 standard nickel-bronze versions of the medal available, priced at £9.95.

For further information or to purchase a medal, please visit www.royalmint.com or call the Royal Mint Customer Services Team on 0845 60 88 222 (UK).

Americans seldom used this curious coin, but they never scorned it either

by Ed Reiter

Pro and COIN: A Great Idea!

One collector believes that “America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Series Act of 2008” will celebrate our natural wonders

by Rita Laws, Ph.D.

Pro and COIN: Enough Already!

Another 11-year series of national parks and historic sites—with the option for a second 11-year series—is way too much

by Tom DeLorey

Benedetto Pistrucci: Modern “Old Master”

His 1817 design of St. George slaying the dragon is still on Britain’s gold coins in 2009

by David T. Alexander

Coin Capsule: 1817

The U.S. issued only two coins, but it was a year of some significant firsts and collectibles

by Jon Blackwell

The American Samoa Quarter

American Samoa is close to a paradise, but there’s more to the territory than beautiful national parks and beaches

by Ron Meyer

Meddling with Our Money

New designs and denominations seemed natural, but sometimes outside influences created significant changes to our change

by R.W. Julian