DON EVERHART'S CAREER IN COINS, PART 8

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V25 2022 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 25, Number 12, March 20, 2022, Article 16

With permission, we're republishing excerpts of former U.S. Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart's series published by CoinWeek beginning in April 2018. -Editor

Presidential Medals
Before I worked at the U.S. Mint, in 1996, I designed and sculpted the Second Administration Inaugural Medal of Bill Clinton and Albert Gore. It was quite an honor for my work to be chosen and I felt it might be one of the only chances I would get to work on such a high-profile commission. When I was freelancing I would occasionally work on what I considered to be important commissions. But after I became a United States Mint Engraver I sincerely thought that everything I worked on was important. My work would become a part of the narrative of our country's history.

On the third floor of the Philadelphia Mint is a room called The Presidents Room. It was where the Mint would hold special meetings (and still does), and where news stories are often filmed. It is a beautiful room, with parquet floors, period furniture, and American flags. One wall in The Presidents Room is lined with plaster and galvano models of all the U.S. presidents. Many times I would enter the room and marvel at the work that was done previously by some of the giants of American medallic sculpture. Works by John Sinnock, Gilroy Roberts, Charles Barber, George Morgan and many others adorn the wall.

George W. Bush (2001-2009)
In 2008 I was asked to sculpt the portrait of the George W. Bush Second Administration Presidential Medal. These medals differ from the Official Inaugural Medal. The Presidential Medals honor the past Presidents of the United States and are produced by the United States Mint. The official Inaugural Medals, however, are produced by private mints and are usually an open competition. As in my with Clinton-Gore mentioned above, the medals are produced by an independent artist and struck by a private mint, then presented to the Official Inaugural Committee of the president-elect. The sculpting is done on spec (you don't get paid unless your medal gets chosen).

After she retired, Donna Weaver's obverse design for the Second Administration Medal of George W. Bush was chosen as the winner. Since she was retired and no longer on the Mint staff, she was no longer eligible to execute the sculpt. In a case like this another staff artist at the U.S. Mint is designated to do the sculpting.

I sculpted Donna's design, a dramatic profile of the president looking slightly down and to the right. The design had a border that contained the wording George W. Bush and two stars to indicate that it represented his second administration. Donna did great work for the Mint. She is a top-notch designer and sculptor.

Donna and I, along with Director Moy, all received invitations to meet with the president in the Oval Office on his last official full day in office, January 19, 2009. After a short wait outside, we were ushered into the room. The president was in a good mood, joking with Ed as we walked in. Bush was very jovial, relaxed, and engaging. I felt that he was feeling quite relieved to be leaving office and to have this burden lifted from his shoulders. He gave us presidential buttons, cuff links and tie tacks as parting gifts, and we posed with him for photos. After about 20 minutes we left.

About a month or so later, I received from him a signed photo of myself standing next to the president and a hand-signed note thanking me for the work I had done, telling me he intended to display the medal in his future George W. Bush Presidential Center. I realized that no matter what one's politics are, these men are flesh and blood human beings with human feelings. We can never comprehend the pressures and stress that they endure as leaders of the free world.

Being invited to the Oval Office by the President for work I had done was be the ultimate compliment and definitely the height of my career. Like I said, this was a huge honor for me. I only had one reservation, however. Sure, I sculpted the Bush portrait but it was not my original design. It's the curse of never being satisfied…