3 coins for 5 5-star generals
Five U.S. Army 5-Star Generals will be honored on three commemorative coins issued in 2013. The Commission of Fine Arts and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee each met recently to offer their advice on which designs should be featured on the coins.
Five U.S. Army 5-Star Generals will be honored on three commemorative coins issued in 2013.
The Commission of Fine Arts and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee each met recently to offer their advice on which designs should be featured on the coins.
The coins honor generals Douglas MacArthur, George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, Henry “Hap” Arnold and Omar Bradley.
A $5 gold coin will honor Gen. MacArthur. The CFA backed Obverse design No. 2 noting its superior portrait, said CFA secretary Tom Luebke, while the CCAC preferred design No. 3, which received 18 of 30 possible evaluation points, according to CCAC Chairman Gary Marks.
The CFA endorsed reverse design No. 2, but asked that the numeric “$5” be spelled out, Luebke said.
As for the CCAC, it chose to go in an entirely different direction.
“The committee did not go with the reverse designs provided by the Mint for the $5 gold and $1 silver reverses,” Marks said. “After reviewing the bill ... enacting the program it was clear that the intent of Congress was to honor the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., which each of the honored 5-star generals attended.”
But only the reverse designs for the clad half dollar paid tribute to the college, he said.
“Thus, the committee considered only the reverses provided for the half dollar because they carry design themes reflective of the college,” Marks said. “The recommended designs, if selected by the Secretary of the Treasury, will be changed to reflect the denomination – $5 and $1 – as appropriate.”
So, the CCAC chose the half dollar reverse design No. 4 for the reverse of the $5 gold coin on a vote of 7-1 with two abstentions.
The $1 silver coin honors Eisenhower and Marshall. The CFA preferred design No. 8, while the CCAC endorsed design No. 6 for the obverse with 18 of 30 possible evaluation points.
Luebke said CFA members noted the difficulty in featuring two portraits on the coin, and suggested that the faces or texts be somewhat reduced for the final design.
For the reverse of the silver coin, the CFA chose design No. 4 citing its elegant allegorical figure, but asked that it be shifted somewhat so it doesn’t overlap the text on the coin. The CCAC chose the clad half dollar reverse No. 6 for the $1 silver reverse giving it 18 of a possible 30 points.
The clad half dollar features portraits of Arnold and Bradley. The CFA preferred obverse design No. 6, citing it as the most elegant design witht he best portraits, Luebke said.
The CCAC gave obverse design No. 6 the most points, 10 of 30, but that didn’t meet the committee’s 50 percent recommendation threshold so it was not officially recommended, Marks said.
Both groups recommended reverse design No. 7 for the clad half dollar.
Designs for the Code Talkers Recognition gold medals medals honoring the Choctaw Nation, Osage Nation, pawnee Nation and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe were also reviewed.
CFA and CCAC endorsements follow:
• Cheyenne River Sioux
CFA – Obverse No. 2, Reverse No. 7
CCAC – Obverse No. 2, Reverse No. 7
• Choctaw Nation:
CFA – Obverse No. 3. Reverse No. 1
CCAC – Obverse N. 3, Reverse No. 1
• Osage Nation:
CFA – Obverse No. 2, Reverse No. 1
CCAC – Obverse No. 1, Reverse No. 1
• Pawnee Nation:
CFA – Obverse No. 2, Reverse No. 1
CCAC – Obverse No. 1, Reverse No. 3
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