The Roosevelt-Saint-Gaudens Correspondence Concerning Coinage
The White House
Washington
Nov. 6, 1905.
My dear Saint-Gaudens:
How is that old gold coinage design getting along? I want to make a suggestion. It seems to me worth while to try for a really good coinage; though I suppose there will be a revolt about it! I was looking at some gold coins of Alexander the Great to-day, and I was struck by their high relief. Would it not be well to have our coins in high relief, and also to have the rims raised? The point of having the rims raised would be, of course, to protect the figure on the coin; and if we have the figures in high relief, like the figures on the old Greek coins, they will surely last longer. What do you think of this?
With warm regards.
Faithfully yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Mr. Augustus Saint-Gaudens,
Windsor, Vermont.
Windsor, Vermont,
Nov. 11, 1905.
Dear Mr. President:
You have hit the nail on the head with regard to the coinage. Of course the great coins (and you might almost say the only coins) are the Greek ones you speak of, just as the great medals are those of the fifteenth century by Pisanello and Sperandio. Nothing would please me more
| Obverse of the ten-dollar gold piece, in high relief, and before the addition of the head-dress, on President Roosevelt's suggestion. | Obverse of the ten-dollar gold piece with the Roosevelt feather head-dress. Before the relief was radically lowered for minting. |
| Liberty obverse of the twenty-dollar gold piece as finally designed. The relief, however, was made lower before minting. | Liberty obverse of the twenty-dollar gold piece. The head-dress, President Roosevelt's idea, was later eliminated on this figure as too small to be effective on the actual coin. |
than to make the attempt in the direction of the heads of Alexander, but the authorities on modern monetary requirements would, I fear, “throw fits,” to speak emphatically, if the thing was done now. It would be great if it could be accomplished and I do not see what the objection would be if the edges were high enough to prevent rubbing. Perhaps an inquiry from you would not receive the antagonistic reply from those who have the say in such matters that would certainly be made to me.
Up to the present I have done no work on the actual models for the coins, but have made sketches, and the matter is constantly in my mind. I have about determined on the composition of one side, which would contain an eagle very much like the one I placed on your medal with a modification that would be advantageous. On the other side I would place a (possibly winged) figure of liberty striding energetically forward as if on a mountain top holding aloft on one arm a shield bearing the Stars and Stripes with the word “Liberty” marked across the field, in the other hand, perhaps, a flaming torch. The drapery would be flowing in the breeze. My idea is to make it a living thing and typical of progress.
Tell me frankly what you think of this and what your ideas may be. I remember you spoke of the head of an Indian. Of course that is always a superb thing to do, but would it be a sufficiently clear emblem of Liberty as required by law?
I send you an old book on coins which I am certain you will find of interest while waiting for a copy that I have ordered from Europe.
Faithfully yours,
Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
The White House
Washington
Nov. 14, 1905.
My dear Mr. Saint-Gaudens:
I have your letter of the 11th instant and return herewith the book on coins, which I think you should have until you get the other one. I have summoned all the mint people, and I am going to see if I cannot persuade them that coins of the Grecian type but with the raised rim will meet the commercial needs of the day. Of course I want to avoid too heavy an outbreak of the mercantile classes, because after all it is they who do use the gold. If we can have an eagle like that on the Inauguration Medal, only raised, I should feel that we would be awfully fortunate. Don't you think that we might accomplish something by raising the figures more than at present but not as much as in the Greek coins? Probably the Greek coins would be so thick that modern banking houses, where they have to pile up gold, would simply be unable to do so. How would it do to have a design struck off in a tentative fashion—that is, to have a model made? I think your Liberty idea is all right. Is it possible to make a Liberty with that Indian feather head-dress? Would people refuse to regard it as a Liberty? The figure of Liberty as you suggest would be beautiful. If we get down to bed-rock facts would the feather head-dress be any more out of keeping with the rest of Liberty than the canonical Phrygian cap which never is worn and never has been worn by any free people in the world?
Faithfully yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Mr. Augustus Saint-Gaudens,
Windsor, Vermont.
Windsor, Vermont,
Nov. 22, 1905.
Dear Mr. President:
Thank you for your letter of the 14th and the return of the book on coins.
I can perfectly well use the Indian head-dress on the figure of Liberty. It should be very handsome. I have been at work for the last two days on the coins and feel quite enthusiastic about it.
I enclose a copy of a letter to Secretary Shaw which explains itself. If you are of my opinion and will help, I shall be greatly obliged.
Faithfully yours,
Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
[Hand-written postscript.]
I think something between the high relief of the Greek coins and the extreme low relief of the modern work is possible, and as you suggest, I will make a model with that in view.
Windsor, Vermont,
Nov. 22, 1905.
Hon. L. M. Shaw,
Secretary of the Treasury,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir:
I am now engaged on the models for the coinage. The law calls for, viz., “On one side there shall be an impression emblematic of liberty, with an inscription of the word 'liberty' and the year of the coinage.” It occurs to me that the addition on this side of the coins of the word “Justice” (or “Law,” preferably the former) would add force as well as elevation to the meaning of the composition. At one time the words “In God we trust” were placed on the coins. I am not aware that there was authorization for that, but I may be mistaken.
Will you kindly inform me whether what I suggest is possible.
Yours very truly,
Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
The White House
Washington
Nov. 24, 1905.
My dear Mr. Saint-Gaudens:
This is first class. I have no doubt we can get permission to put on the word “Justice,” and I firmly believe that you can evolve something that will not only be beautiful from the artistic standpoint, but that, between the very high relief of the Greek and the very low relief of the modern coins, will be adapted both to the mechanical necessities of our mint production and the needs of modern commerce, and yet will be worthy of a civilized people—which is not true of our present coins.
Faithfully yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Mr. Augustus Saint-Gaudens,
Windsor, Vermont.
The White House
Washington
Jan. 6, 1906.
My dear Saint-Gaudens:
I have seen Shaw about that coinage and told him that it was my pet baby. We will try it anyway, so you go ahead. Shaw was really very nice about it. Of course he thinks I am a mere crack-brained lunatic on the subject, but he said with great kindness that there was always a certain number of gold coins that had to be stored up in vaults, and that there was no earthly objection to having those coins as artistic as the Greeks could desire. (I am paraphrasing his words, of course.) I think it will seriously increase the mortality among the employees of the mint at seeing such a desecration, but they will perish in a good cause!
Always yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Mr. Augustus Saint-Gaudens,
Windsor, Vermont.
The White House
Washington
October 1, 1906.
Personal
My dear Mr. Saint-Gaudens:
The mint people have come down, as you can see from the enclosed letter which is in answer to a rather dictatorial one I sent to the Secretary of the Treasury. When can we get that design for the twenty-dollar gold piece? I hate to have to put on the lettering, but under the law I have no alternative; yet in spite of the lettering I think, my dear sir, that you have given us a coin as wonderful as any of the old Greek coins. I do not want to bother you, but do let me have it as quickly as possible. I would like to have the coin well on the way to completion by the time Congress meets.
It was such a pleasure seeing your son the other day.
Please return Director Roberts' letter to me when you have noted it.
Sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Mr. Augustus Saint-Gaudens,
Windsor, Vermont.
The White House
Washington
December 11, 1906.
My dear Mr. Saint-Gaudens:
I hate to trouble you, but it is very important that I should have the models for those coins at once. How soon may I have them?
With all good wishes, believe me,
Sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Mr. Augustus Saint-Gaudens,
Windsor, Vermont.
Windsor, Vermont,
December 19, 1906.
Dear Mr. President:
I am afraid from the letter sent you on the fourteenth with the models for the Twenty-Dollar Gold piece that you will think the coin I sent you was unfinished. This is not the case. It is the final and completed model, but I hold myself in readiness to make any such modifications as may be required in the reproduction of the coin.
This will explain the words, “test model” on the back of each model.
Faithfully yours,
Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
The White House
Washington
December 20, 1906.
My dear Saint-Gaudens:
Those models are simply immense—if such a slang way of talking is permissible in reference to giving a modern nation one coinage at least which shall be as good as that of the ancient Greeks. I have instructed the Director of the Mint that these dies are to be reproduced just as quickly as possible and just as they are. It is simply splendid. I suppose I shall be impeached for it in Congress; but I shall regard that as a very cheap payment!
With heartiest regards,
Faithfully yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Mr. Augustus Saint-Gaudens,
Windsor, Vermont.