Letter
Dear Mr. Peterson:
In its meeting of 15 May, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed alternative designs for a one-dollar commemorative coin honoring the 75-year history of the March of Dimes. The Commission recommended obverse #9 and reverse #16 with the following modifications to improve these designs.
For the obverse, the Commission members recommended shifting the depiction of the dime away from the left edge of the coin to avoid an awkward tangency of circles. They suggested eliminating the obverse portrayal of the dime board—the cardboard display for receiving donations of dimes—and instead adding the dime board as a background element on the reverse; they also recommended omitting the large fingers to improve the clarity of the composition.
In their discussion of the numerous alternatives, the Commission members emphasized their continuing preference for simplicity in coin designs. They also discouraged depicting a person of identifiable ethnicity to represent the wide-ranging impact of childhood disease; they instead preferred the image of leg braces in reverse #16 to convey the effect of polio on its victims.
As always, the staff is available to assist you with future submissions.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Richard A. Peterson, Deputy Director
United States Mint
801 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20220
cc: April Stafford, U.S. Mint