Letter
Dear Mr. Motl:
In its meeting of 15 June, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed alternative designs for two Congressional Gold Medals, providing the following recommendations.
Office of Strategic Services. For the medal honoring the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the Commission members recommended obverse #15 and reverse #19. They noted the preference of the Mint’s liaison for obverse #17 but emphasized that obverse #15 better depicts the range of people and activities of the OSS during its active period in the 1940s. They also noted the liaison’s preference for reverse #20, commenting that reverse #19 is similar but has the advantage of omitting the laurel branches and exergue that crowd the composition. They supported the Mint’s intended revisions to reverse #19 to use a more appropriate font for the quotation’s lettering and to end the inscription with a period. They added that with this pairing and composition, the spearhead emblem and the name of OSS Director Gen. William J. Donovan could remain on the reverse design as presented.
Filipino Veterans of World War II. For the medal honoring Filipino veterans of World War II, the Commission members recommended obverse #4 and reverse #1, consistent with the preferences of the Mint’s liaison. They supported the Mint’s intended revisions to obverse #4 for historical accuracy of the helmets and uniforms, as well as a revised pose for the central figure so that all three soldiers are looking in the same direction.
As always, the staff is available to assist you with future submissions.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
David Motl
Acting Deputy Director
United States Mint
801 9th Street, NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20220