NNP

Transitional Design.  An unadopted coin or medal design; one that is replaced by an accepted design, with but few changes. The transitional design might have been in actual production, but is replaced shortly afterwards by the design that is used for the bulk of the production run. The term is very close to prototype – both are struck pieces of the first type that are later changed. The two terms differ in that transitional design is an artistic change; prototype requires a change of dies. The change for both terms is more than die retooling – it requires a change in the original model, pattern or matrix and new dies made.

Transitional design implies some middle ground, as from an early design concept, to the transitional design, to a later acceptable design. There are coins that illustrate this: the 1913 U.S. Bison nickel with the bison on the mound. The original design had the word "cents" superimposed on the mound on the reverse; this was thought by mint officials to probably wear off and the denomination would be unstated. It was changed that same year to a design with the word "cents" recessed and the bison standing on a plane instead. There are numerous examples in both coins and medals; these dramatically point out the need for the design to be edited before any design is placed in production.

excerpted with permission from

An Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology

For Artists, Makers, Collectors and Curators

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY D. WAYNE JOHNSON

Roger W. Burdette, Editor