DICK JOHNSON REMEMBERS BOB DOLE

It was a First Strike Ceremony in 1987 for the U.S. Constitution Commemorative I believe. The U.S Mint had a stage erected on the east steps of the U.S. Capitol, with two coining presses, one on each side of the stage.

My travel companion was my former employer, the president of Medallic Art Company, Donald Schwartz. We choose seats on the front row not more than ten feet from that coining press on the right. Senator Mark Hatfield strolled by and chatted with Don, as both had worked together on the Reagan Presidential Inaugural Medal.

Donna Pope, U.S. Mint Director, was in charge of the ceremony. Bob Dole was one of two celebrities on hand. Highlight was to have a celebrity push the button for the first strike. He did this on the press right in front of us. A workman retrieved the gold commemorative coin from the press and handed it to Bob Dole.

After examining the coin, holding it up to show the audience, he impishly stuck it in his pocket.

Donna Pope approached and asked for the coin. He winked at the audience and raised his arms, palms up, as if he didn’t have it. Donna Pope turned white to the delight and snickering of the audience. Evidence of Bob Dole’s inherent humor.

As the recipient of the latest Congressional Gold Medal this week he still had some of that humor at age 94. He made the audience in the U.S. Capitol’s rotunda to laugh twice in his acceptance remarks, ending with: “Mister speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the esteemed Senator from the State of North Carolina,” referring, of course, to his wife, Elizabeth Dole, the next speaker.

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web