A figure of historical numismatic consequence seemed to have first proposed halting the coining of gold in 1910. Abram Piatt Andrew had been Assistant Treasury Secretary only a few months when his proposal was picked up in The Washington Post on Sept. 3rd, 1910;

During his tenure as Mint Director, October 1909 to June 1910, Dr. Andrew earned the wrath of many numismatists that reverberates to this day. As part of a negotiated settlement with William H. Woodin, he ordered the destruction of nearly all pattern dies and hubs at the Philadelphia Mint - a great historical and artistic loss. Some of his lesser known accomplishments include the following: As a Harvard Associate Professor he had predicted the banking panic of 1907, which lead to his nomination for Director of the Mint. Between 1909 and 1914 he was a member of the National Monetary Commission and was instrumental in the drafting of legislation that lead to today's Federal Reserve Bank. He was an ambulance driver during World War I and founded the American Field Service (AFS), which continues to this day. As a representative from Massachusetts he was elected to Congress in 1921 and served till his death in 1936. Dr. Andrews is a somewhat forgotten individual of historical significance, even if infamous amongst the numismatic community.

Image: Portrait of Abram Piatt Andrew, c. 1901. Ref.Economics in the Rear-View Mirror by I. Collier.Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Doug adds:

To read the complete article, see:
NNP ADDS TREASURY DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASES(https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n16a04.html)