Commems Collection Classic: 1893 Isabella Quarter - In The News (In 1893) - Part I

I've written a number of stories about the 1893 Isabella Quarter, a coin sponsored by the Board of Lady Managers of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. (You can find the posts via the "Commems Collection" link below.)

1893 World's Columbian Exposition - Queen Isabella Quarter



This time out, I'm taking a quick look at some of the contemporary news pieces published about the souvenir coin in papers across the country (often duplicated in multiple publications from a general release press notice).

First up, a brief note in the March 2, 1893 edition of the Cheyenne Daily Leader (Cheyenne, Wyoming):

Another Souvenir Coin Proposed

There is a chance that the country will have some more souvenir coins. When Mrs. Potter Palmer was before the senate subcommittee on appropriations in advocacy of the additional $93,000 desired for the board of lady managers, she suggested that $10,000 of the sum be given in souvenir coins, and the suggestion apparently met with the favor of the committee. It is the intention to have the coins of the value of 25 cents each, making 40,000 quarters. They will bear upon one side the head of Queen Isabella of Spain, on the other a picture of the Women's building at the fair and will be known as the "Isabella coin." The price at which they will be sold has been kept discreetly secret. (from the Washington Post)

Of course, we know that "veil of secrecy" was lifted and the coins were sold for $1.00 each. I've discussed the potential of the Women's Building being on the reverse here: 1893 Isabella Quarter - Appropriation Roots

Note that both the Columbus Half Dollar (indirectly) and the Isabella Quarter (directly) are being referred to as "Souvenir Coins" vs. "Commemorative Coins," that's how they were originally perceived/referred to.


By April 1893, more details about the coin were available as seen in the following piece published in the April 25 edition of the Roanoke Times: (Roanoke, Virginia)

SOUVENIR QUARTERS
Only 40,000 of Them Will be Issued

CHICAGO, April 21 -- The 10,000 souvenir quarter-dollars, which Congress authorized to be minted for the Board of Lady Managers of the World's Fair, will be issued, it is expected, by May 1, Those coins are of peculiar interest for several reasons. In some respects the Isabella Quarter is a much greater novelty than the Columbian half dollar, as the coins bearing the Spanish Queen's portrait are much more limited in number. The Act of Congress authorizing their issue only provides for the minting of $10,000, or 40,000 quarters, hence there is every reason to believe they will be extremely rare. They are certain to command the attention of women the world over, since they are the first recognition by a government of the position that women are attaining in art, industrial, and social movements. Undoubtedly the women of the country will regard this as their special souvenir, and, as so few will be minted, the demand for them will be proportionately great.

The coin itself will be a work of art. The same care and painstaking attention will be devoted to this issue as succeeded in making the Columbian souvenir coins such marvels of the minting art. The full design has not been announced, but the obverse side is to bear the portrait of Queen Isabella of Spain.

One of the special features of the new coin is that it is the first issued by this government to bear the portrait of a woman. Other coins bear idealized representations of the fair sex, but this is the first to be honored by an authentic reproduction of a particular feminine face. The coin is intended by the National Government to commemorate two Important events -- the aid given by Queen Isabella to Columbus which enabled him to make the voyage of discovery to America; and the first special provision made by the United States Government for the adequate participation of women in an enterprise of world-wide importance.

Apart from the general Interest imparted to the coins by National legislation and historic associations, their market value will be augmented by the fact that every coin-collector in the world must have one. The Catholics throughout the world and the people of the Spanish race will be interested in the souvenir In appreciation of the honor extended to the memory of their greatest queen by this government."


Certainly a very positive/motivational release about the upcoming coin - high expectations were being set! Too bad they did not match reality!

Moving into May 1893, new details about the coin's design process emerged. From the May 11, 1893 edition of The Yakima Herald (Yakima, Washington):

THE SOUVENIR QUARTER DOLLAR
Designs Selected by the Director of the Mint for the Columbian Quarter

The director of the mint has sent to the lady managers of the World's Fair two models of the head of Isabella, one which wilt be selected by them to appear on the face of the 25-cent souvenir coin. One model, a very beautiful face in profile, represents Isabella as a young queen. The other is a full view of a mature woman. (Additional discussion of the "full view" design can be found here: Quick Bits #21 - Women Who Could've Been 1st.)

The design for the reverse of the coin represents a beautiful woman kneeling, holding a distaff and unwinding flax, emblematic of woman's industry. The lettering on the reverse will be: "Board of Lady Managers" above and around the figure, and below the words: "Columbian Quarter Dollar." On the face the lettering will be: "United States of America, 1893."


From the above, it's clear that by May 1893, the Women's Building was no longer being considered a viable design element for the coin's reverse. The notice got very close regarding the inscriptions, being correct for both sides save the fact that "QUARTER DOLLAR" was abbreviated on the reverse of the coin as "QUAR. DOL."


Additional news briefs about the 1893 Isabella Quarter will be found in Part II.


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more stories about the Isabella Quarter, see: Commems Collection - some interesting discussions of the coin's design elements can be found via the "Design Discussions" link.