To their credit the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) is calling for the U.S. Treasuryto issue two annual art medals. One, emblematic of Liberty and issued in a uniform series, wouldchange only one side each year.

The other would be a Freestyle Art Medal allowing the artist to choose not only the subject butalso a style to best present that theme. It is anticipated a medallic creation would be chosen by anew artist each year.

While the topic of issuing art medals struck by the U,S, Mint has long been discussed by theCommittee, this is the first time the proposal has reached a full recommendation to theTreasury.

The Committee has substantial credentials for making such recommendation. Five numismatists havebeen members of the Committee during these discussions, including Michael Moran, Arthur Houghton,Roger Burdette and Robert Hoge.

Authorities from the medallic field include Heidi Wastweet and Jeanne Stevens-Sollman. DonaldScarinci, now in his second term, falls in both categories having collected U.S. Colonial coinsand, within the last decade, has built the world's largest private art medal collection.

The recommendation suggests the size for each medal: 2-inch (40.6mm) for the annual Libertyseries medal, and 3-inch (76.2mm) or thereabouts for the Freestyle Medal.

The Liberty Medal would contain one ounce of .999 fine silver, and the Freestyle Medal issued inboth silver and bronze.

It is hoped the Mint resists the temptation to strike the Liberty Medal on a coining press,which it could easily do because of the size. As such it would fall within the bullion medalcategory and negate any art medal appeal, The design and model is hoped to be of such high reliefit would be required to be struck on a medal press.

As for the Freestyle Medal its appeal will depend upon two things -- the reputation of theartist and the design of the image. The invitation for such a medal should attract only seasonedmedallists. This should not be a training ground for wannabe medallists.

Unfortunately the initial submission of the design ideas must be as drawings. (I sayunfortunately because exceptional art medal designs often cannot be expressed adequately as2-dimensional drawings, they must be viewed as reliefs.)

From these entries however, a handful of designs would be selected and the artists must thenfurnish oversize bas-relief models. It is hoped the selection would be made by artistsknowledgeable in medallic art and not government bureaucrats.

Final selection would be made from these entries. No payment would be made to artists submittingdrawings, payments should be made to compensate all artists submitting models, with a substantialamount to the artist creating the final selection.

Production of the dies is another important aspect. Current attitude at the Mint is to make allreductions by computer engraving technology, as the Mint has mothballed all their Janvier reducingmachines. Art medals require the delicate, realistic, finite execution of die-cutting bestaccomplished on Janvier or similar machines from metal patterns. ("If it's in the model,it's in the medal.")

Computer engraving, while satisfactory for most die-cutting and exhibits great savings in time,the images it produces are somewhat more plastic, less detailed in comparison to the life-like,finite realism which can be obtained by earlier established technology.

We welcome the Mint's return to art medal issuing. Previously it was phased out in the 1980swhen all medal inventories were sold off -- some indignantly sold in grab-bags -- and no new medalsissued, other than what was demanded by Congress.

The Treasury should not expect large sales of art medals, at least not like some of the coinissues they have come to experience recently. But issuing such art medals every year they aresupporting a vital art media in America. They will earn a profit from coin issues; they will earn areputation from art medal issuing.

We welcome this proposal.

Paul Gilkes wrote an article for Coin World about the CCAC recommendation at: www.coinworld.com/insights/ccac-adopts-resolution-for-annual-art-medals-from-u--s--mint.html

David Harper, editor of Numismatic News is conducting a poll, asking for comments and ifyou would purchase such art medals. He can be reached at: David.Harper@fwpubs.com