J.H. CLINE, STANDING LIBERTY QUARTERS, 4TH EDITION Public Deposited
BOOK REVIEW
The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 11, March 18, 2007, Article 4
BOOK REVIEW: J.H. CLINE, STANDING LIBERTY QUARTERS, 4TH EDITION
This week I had the opportunity to read the fourth edition of J.H.
Cline's "Standing Liberty Quarters", published this year by Zyrus
Press. The 240-page 8 1/2 x 11 paperback is available from the
publisher at $21.95.To gain some perspective I first turned to my library shelf, which
illustrates the evolution of Standing Liberty Quarter literature over
the years. First comes the 1976 softbound book of the same title by
Keith N. Kelman. Kelman's 98-page monograph was the first detailed
presentation of the series. It opens with a 15-page history of the
coin, illustrated with a photo of Dora Doscher, one of the models used
by designer Hermon MacNeil. The Grading section consisted of just four
pages. The bulk of the book is comprised of a date-by-date analysis,
illustrated with an image of each coin. The only pricing information
in the book is a one-page list of prices for "full head" examples.The first edition of Cline's book was published approximately 1984 -
I don't know for sure since it doesn't seem to have a publication date.
My copy was inscribed to me by the author at the Detroit ANA convention
that summer. The 135-page softcover cites Kelman's book in the
bibliography, but does appear to be a fully original work. Cline's
history section stretches for 66 pages in three chapters. Well
illustrated, the book pictures an array of original correspondence
between MacNeil and the Treasury Department, and also has portrait
photos of MacNeil at ages 36 and 60. The book also pictures Mrs.
Irene MacDowell, who also posed for MacNeil. The Grading section
consists of just three pages and like Kelman's book, the largest
section is devoted to a coin-by-coin analysis.I don't have Cline's 2nd edition, but the 3rd edition grew to 175 pages
in a large 8 1/2 by 11 format, available in both hardbound and softbound
(mine's a hardbound). New to this edition were more photos of MacNeil,
photos of his studio and photos of some of his best-known sculptural
works, which include the east pediment of the Supreme Court building
(I didn't know that!). The reprinted correspondence is displayed two
sheets per page, but in a smaller format that's harder to read than in
the earlier edition. Another new section highlights errors on Standing
Liberty Quarters. The price section is now 15 pages.Which brings us finally to the 2007 4th edition. It's available only
in softbound (which I don't like), but the $21.95 price is a bargain.
The layout and graphics are much improved. The correspondence is now
pictured one item per page, full size and much easier to read. Since
some of these are fuzzy photocopies or carbon copies, the full size is
almost a necessity for readability. The historical information and
photos are basically the same as in the earlier edition. There indeed
have been updates throughout the text, although I haven't tried to locate
them all. One feature present in the 4rd edition but now missing in the
4th is a reprint of a delightful 1972 newspaper article interviewing
Irene MacDowell at age 92.The book is not the last word on the Standing Liberty Quarter series,
however. While it's an excellent source of information on varieties
and coining characteristics and has several excellent photos of MacNeil
and his studio that are available nowhere else, it is missing some of
the major revelations published a year earlier in Roger Burdette's
"Renaissance of American Coinage 1916-1921". Perhaps another edition
or another author will come along and pull the details together, but
for now the true student of the series must have BOTH Burdette and the
4th edition of Cline on their shelf.To order the book online at Zyrus Press, see: Zyrus Press
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