The popular story of President Theodore Roosevelt?s attempt to give America a coinage of the quality of the ancient Greeks with the help of artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens will be told Sept 20-March 31 by a special exhibit at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York at 33 Liberty St.
Called ? ?I suppose I shall be impeached for it ...? Theodore Roosevelt, Augustus Saint-Gaudens and America?s Most Beautiful Coin,? the exhibit is mounted by the American Numismatic Society and the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.
It will include examples of cameos and classical numismatic prototypes that Saint-Gaudens is known to have used as inspiration.
Saint-Gaudens died before the ultimate realization of his work and Mint Chief Engraver Charles Barber flattened the high relief of the Saint-Gaudens $20 after two failures at high-relief coinage, but the result is still often called the most beautiful U.S. coin ever struck.
At the center of the exhibit will be plaster models and correspondence relating to the $20.
Exhibit hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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