Guest Author - Raymond F. Hanisco
A READER WRITES
Dear Mr. Hanisco,
I very much enjoyed reading your article about the denial of the quarter design to Laura Gardin Fraser. I am her grand-niece, and during my childhood I spent alot of time at their home, and in the huge studio in Westport, CT, where she worked with her husband James Earle Fraser.
This morning I read in the New York Times an editorial remembering the "old" buffalo nickel. It was a lovely article, but failed to mention the designer of the coin, even though the author, Verlyn Klinkenborg, called it a "work of art". I was looking for a way to e-mail that author, and decided to "Google" the Frasers. (They were Aunt Lar and Uncle Jimmy to me.) I had not known the story of the denied quarter design; perhaps I was just too young at the time. I think it would be very exciting if that quarter were to be issued, finally.
I plan to check in to your website occaisionally, to keep abreast of the news on the subject.
Thanks again for your reporting.
Sincerely,
J.G.
THE COIN GUY RESPONDS
Dear Ms. J.G.,
Thank you for you email. It surprises me, to find out, just who reads the articles on BellaOnLine. Some of my colleagues disagree with my read of sexual discrimination because they feel that the Treasury Sec. just wanted Flanagan's design, period. My counter is, if the Treasury Sec. wanted only Flanagan, then why did he agree to the national competition in the first place; and, when Flanagan didn't win the first one, why did he insist on a second competition. It is sexual discrimination no matter how it is sliced or diced. We just didn't have a name for it at that time except for "tough luck."
I do plan on writing an article on James Earle Fraser and his Buffalo Nickel within the next month or two. I have a couple of other projects started and I would like to complete those first. Please feel free to drop in on our site.
Sincerely,
Ray Hanisco
To read the article go to http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art29098.asp
