Competitions Washington quarter

the standing liberty quarter had long presented production difficulties; in 1931, congress required replaced.

on july 14, 1931, assistant mint director mary margaret o reilly wrote moore, asking commission s advice on design competition new quarter. moore replied, stating fraser had won competition medal, should adapt design quarter. secretary mellon responded moore, stating treasury had been no party earlier design agreement, not bound it, , not follow it. treasury proceeded hold design competition, , when fine arts commission met consider submitted designs in advisory role, selected submitted fraser. designs submitted mellon in november 1931; selected flanagan s design , notified moore of decision. moore , commission member adolph weinman (who had designed mercury dime , walking liberty half dollar) attempted mellon change mind, got him agree allow various sculptors more time improve entries—they had asked more time fraser. on january 20, 1932, following resubmissions, commission affirmed support of fraser designs.

mellon left office on february 12, 1932; succeeded ogden l. mills. new secretary of treasury in office, moore renewed protest, sending mills letter on march 31 deprecating flanagan s design , urging new secretary accede commission s recommendation. mills had been briefed o reilly on quarter matter, , responded moore on april 11. secretary mills informed moore chairman s letter had caused him request changes sculptor, not override mellon s decision. on april 16, selection of flanagan s designs publicly announced.

mellon aware of artists had submitted designs, , has been accused of discriminating against fraser woman. numismatic historian walter breen stated, has been learned mellon knew along had submitted winning models, , male chauvinism partly or wholly motivated unwillingness let woman win. bowers, however, noted mellon had approved fraser s designs commemorative coins several times, other women, , no contemporary source speaks bias on mellon s part. bowers called belief modern numismatic fiction . fraser s design used in 1999 commemorative half eagle issued 200 years after washington s death.