Author Archive
#4 ~ Jay Cline: Praised by Many after His Passing
Posted by: | CommentsSince 2010 this website has been dedicated to
perpetuating the Legacy of
Hermon Atkins MacNeil
# # # # #
Jay H. Cline
has been a majorly contributor
to that Legacy
- He literally wrote the book on The Standing Liberty Quarter.
- That book became “the collector’s Bible” for that mintage.
- Through four Editions (between 1975 1nd 2007) he updated, expanded, and refined his research.
- He ran J. H. Cline Rare Coins specializing in the The Standing Liberty Quarter for more that forty years.
- No other numismatist has devoted as much research, writing, publication, and business practice to the knowledge, identification and appreciation of Hermon MacNeil’s creative design.
- A Row of Liberty Standing Quarters is our LEAD Header.
- This is our 4th Posting in August 2023 telling some of the story of this amazing Numismatist.
Jay H. Cline
After his death …
Over a 100 messages of condolence from collectors
were posted on the
Many who met JAY expressed their sorrow.
Many who never met him shared condolences.
Many more had only met him through his book on the SLQ.
ALL felt a sorrow and void with loss of a dedicated expert.
EXAMPLES:
- I’m shocked and this is hard to believe. Last I saw him he was in good shape and animated; looked like he had 10-20 years more before retirement.
- I met him only once but he was a genuinely nice guy and easy to talk to. Condolences to the family.
- Sad news. Jay had a coin shop in Dayton Ohio for years. … Miss his coin stories! RIP Jay.
- My sympathies to Mr. Cline’s family.
- Immediately thought of the dealer with the Top Hat and Standing Liberty Quarters. Rest in Peace! >>
- Find a Hundred more at
CUW
FYI. BELOW IS one of my previous postings on MacNeil’s Liberty Standing Quarter.
MacNeil’s masterpiece still circulated during my childhood. Below is my childhood story: ⇓
The Standing Liberty Quarter
“Ohioans shut down an effort to make it harder to amend Ohio’s state constitution. Future state constitutional amendments will still pass with a simple majority, rather than the 60 percent threshold that Issue 1 proposed. Abortion-rights activists saw Issue 1’s defeat as a victory, with a November abortion-rights vote on the horizon in the Buckeye State.” Zach Montellaro, National political reporter”. from POLITICO [https://www.politico.com/2023-election/results/ohio/ballot-measures/] Retrieved on Aug. 11, 2023,
McKinley VIEWS:
- “I am for America because America is for the common people.” 1 ~ William McKinley
- “The mission of the United States is one of benevolent assimilation. ~ William McKinley, December 21, 1898. https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1224569
- “Unlike any other nation, here the people rule, and their will is the supreme law.” ~ William McKinley

The Statue of Wm. McKinley stands in front of the Ohio Capitol looking out over the city of Columbus. I always marvel at MacNeil’s works all over the U.S. of A.
Sources:
- 1 America, People, Common; McKinley, William (1893). “Speeches and addresses of William McKinley, from his election to Congress to the present time.”, p.194, Best Books
- https://www.azquotes.com/author/9869-William_McKinley
Related posts:
- H. A. MacNeil Sculpted the McKinley Monument at Ohio State Capitol (15.3) The following article (by our Webmaster) was accepted for…
- MacNeil’s statue of Wm. McKinley stands above Screaming Protestors. (10.9) At the stately doors of the Columbus, Ohio Capitol, protestors…
- DC Capitol Assault? by “Trump-it-eers!” ~~ What Would Will Rogers Say about January 6, 2021 ? (5.7) Jo Davidson was the “studio boy” for Hermon Atkins MacNeil…
- William McKinley –A President Assassinated by a Anarchist Protestor. (5.6) Angry Protestors at the Ohio Capitol screamed over their governor’s…
- ~ Missouri State Capitol Fire of February 5, 1911 ~ Resulted in new Sculptures by Hermon A. MacNeil and Others ~ MacNeil Month 2013 (5.2) On February 5, 1911 lightning struck the Missouri Capitol in…
- Presidents Day 2020 ~~ MacNeil Month ~~ Wm. McKinley ~~ Abe Lincoln ~~ Geo. Washington ~~ “THEY ARE ALL THERE” — H.A MacNeil’s Sculptures of 3 Presidents ~~ (4.9) “They are still there” celebrates several re-visits and discoveries of…
#3 Jay CLINE ~ A kind Collector with a Big Heart!
Posted by: | Comments 2023 In the previous post, about Jay Cline,
his kindness & graciousness
are quite evident.
Don Becker commented years after their meeting:
“We had a fun dinner visiting,
maybe three hours.
We were worn out.
~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~.
On July 22, 2010: After He and Don Becker made plans to meet at the Boston American Numismatic Association meeting.
Jay also reached out to me by email.
Emails with Jay Cline …
“My name is J. H. Cline, and Don Becker contacted you about me. I am the man who wrote a book about the quarters Hermon MacNeil designed for the U.S. government. I have specialized in 1916-1930 quarters since 1976, and have a collection of memorabilia related to Mr. MacNeil. I am a full-time coin dealer in Florida at this time, although I did business in Ohio for many years prior to my move down here.”
“Don and I are tentatively scheduled to meet for the first time, in Boston, on August 13th. I look forward to spending some time with him. I think he told me you are his first cousin?”
“Don tells me you are constructing a website. I would like to see some of your work and would appreciate the web address when it is complete. Where did you study? What are your favored subjects?”
“Please reply when you have the opportunity to do so.”
J. H. Cline
On Jul 22, 2010: I wrote back to Jay Cline mentioning:
- That Don and I made a 40 minute presentation to about 50 family members about his collecting of SLQs since his teen years and I introduced the website giving Jay a link to it?: https://hermonatkinsmacneil.com/
- That the website was just 3 months old. I posted about Jay’s book, reviews, order details and SLQ images. LINK
- That I Learned about “Uncle Hermon” from my mother. Her comments about my resemblance to her father (Hermon’s cousin), Tom Henry McNeil. I shared how my McNeil \MacNeil heritage had became the impetus for this website ~ a virtual MacNeil Gallery ~ his works across USA.
- That the Fourth Edition of The Standing Liberty Quarter excelled. “Your work is the best source I have found so far on the life of Hermon Atkins MacNeil.”
- That my own life work and family history, included engineering, ministry, teaching and chaplaincy.
- That all these seeds have grown as I approach retirement. I planned to travel and photograph all the MacNeil sculptures and art that I can find. [ The website has been a documentary of that since 2010. ]
- Lastly, “Here’s my Wild Hair idea! ~ 2016 is the 100th anniversary of the first SLQ, as well as, the 150 anniversary of the birth of Hermon Atkins MacNeil. “Does someone like yourself have ideas on how to mark and celebrate that year?” Dan Leininger
Later, Jay Cline wrote back:
Hello Dan,
It was so nice to hear back from you so quickly. I am headed out to St. Louis for a convention, but when I return, I will take the time to carefully look over the website. I look forward to doing that on Monday/Tuesday?
[ He gave me permission to use images from his website ]
Re: “Wild Hair”. I’ll have to think about that. Yes, I am life member #547 with the ANA, so I do have an opportunity to bend a few ears that could result in an anniversary project. I’ll ask around and share the feedback with you. We DO have time – although 2016 will be here before you blink! I choose to work full-time through my retirement, and the days fly by.
I’ll be in touch next week.
Jay
My Emails with Jay Cline ended there!
Jay was right…
“the days did fly by”
until 2015 when I saw
this obituary …
J.H. Cline, of Palm Harbor, Fla., died Jan. 8, 2015, from injuries suffered in an accident.
He was owner of J.H. Cline Rare Coins. Mr. Cline specialized in Standing Liberty quarter dollars for more than 40 years.
In 1975 he published Standing Liberty Quarters. The fourth edition of the book was published in 2007.
Mr. Cline “began collecting coins in high school with a few Indian Head cents. His first Standing Liberty Quarter was a severely cleaned 1918-S from a friend who asked the great sum of 35¢ for the coin. He bought that piece in the early 1950’s,” his website states.
Mr. Cline is survived by his wife, Vicki, two daughters, and three sons.
Mrs. Cline told Coin World that per her husband’s instructions, “a private memorial service may be held at a later date.”
Mr. Cline began his full-time career in numismatics in 1964. He spent 31 years operating his own coin shop, Cline’s Rare Coins on Salem Avenue in Dayton, Ohio, before moving to Palm Harbor.
Mr. Cline was a life member of the American Numismatic Association. He was also a member of the Indiana State Numismatic Association, National Silver Dollar Roundtable, Florida United Numismatists, Central States Numismatic Society, and other coin clubs.
Source: Retrieved from World Coin News https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/longtime-coin-dealer-j-h-cline-dies.html
Saddened by that news, I went ahead
with plans for my Wild Hair idea! … the
Hermon Atkins MacNeil Medallion
celebrating 2016
as both a Centennial
the first minting of
of the Liberty Standing Quarter
and a Sesquicentennial
the birth of “Uncle”
Hermon Atkins MacNeil
SOURCES:
- Coinworld.com/news from https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/longtime-coin-dealer-j-h-cline-dies.html
- Jay Cline from http://www.slqs.com
- CLINE #2: An Evening with Jay H. Cline ~ 2010 ~ Expert on MacNeil’s S.L.Q. ~ Signed His 4th Edition! (7.6) The American Numismatic Association met in Boston in 2010. A…
- Jay H. Cline ~ Loved the Standing Liberty Quarter~ #1 of 4 Stories. (6.2) AUGUST 2023 Jay H. Cline devoted his entire life and…
- Standing Liberty Quarter – Jay H. Cline’s Life-long Love (6.1) J. H. Cline’s 45 year admiration of Hermon A. MacNeil’s…
The American Numismatic Association met in Boston in 2010.
A private Dinner with
Jay H. Cline
would be the best dream for any SLQ collector.
Well, that dream became a real blessing for my nephew, Donald S. Becker of Bangor, Maine, a Project Engineer there with Haley Ward, Inc. Don remembers that event this way:
“It was the American Numismatic Association meeting in Boston for the first time since 1982. Jay told me I should come as it was the best coin show event there is. He was always willing to visit by email and talk about coins and Hermon MacNeil. … “
“I had already contacted him to let him know how much I enjoyed the chapter [on Hermon] in the book and he wanted to discuss anything I knew about Hermon and anything about artistic talent in the Leininger, McNeil family.”
By email Don had found out that Jay Cline would be there. So, Don offered to buy Jay dinner if “he meet me to sign my book.” Don remembered that evening:
“We had dinner at Abe & Louie’s on 793 Boylston Street…. The restaurant is still there … and is a very nice venue.”
I used to receive Cline’s price list on SLQ quarters which was his specialty.
It was a enjoyable dinner and…
he signed my copy of his book.
It was something I thought would be neat to do.
The national coin show was very large and dramatic.
Don continued his comments:
“Abe & Louie’s is located near the Hynes Convention Center, on Boylston Street, in Boston.The original founders retired when it was still part of the Backbay Restaurant Group.Yet the restaurant is still there. … It is a very nice restaurant.
[Owned now by Tavistock Restaurant Collection]
On April 15, 2013 the second blast site of the Boston Marathon Bombing was just a few buildings away.”
~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~.
Bonus Images from Don:
Projects for Haley Ward in the Maine woods:
Don added two photos from his recent projects at Katahdin Woods and Water National Monument Visitors Contact Station projects.
Click link for MORE ~ Katahdin Woods and Waters Scenic Byway, National Park Service
Related posts:
- Standing Liberty Quarter – Jay H. Cline’s Life-long Love (11.2) J. H. Cline’s 45 year admiration of Hermon A. MacNeil’s…
- Jay H. Cline ~ Loved the Standing Liberty Quarter~ #1 of 4 Stories. (8.3) AUGUST 2023 Jay H. Cline devoted his entire life and…
Sources:
- https://abeandlouies.com/history/.
- Don Becker, PE, Project Engineer with Haley Ward in Bangor, ME
#1 ~ Jay H. Cline ~ Loved the Standing Liberty Quarter ~
Posted by: | CommentsAUGUST 2023
Jay H. Cline devoted his entire life and career to the Standing Liberty Quarter designed by Hermon MacNeil.
We will devote four postings in August 2023 to this dedicated numismatist.
Cline wrote the first definitive volume on MacNeil’s Standing Liberty Quarter. He told his own story as a young boy collecting his first of MacNeil’s quarter design.
He became a coin dealer. MacNeil’s work became his specialty and love. He researched, wrote, revised his book through Four Editions.
Stay TUNED Here at HAM for MORE
https://hermonatkinsmacneil.com/
~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~
Related posts:
- Standing Liberty Quarter – Jay H. Cline’s Life-long Love (26.7) J. H. Cline’s 45 year admiration of Hermon A. MacNeil’s…
- Hermon MacNeil’s “Standing Liberty Quarter” Praised As Favorite (16.8) Ninety-four years after its first minting, the MacNeil “Standing Liberty…
- Standing Liberty Quarter ~ MacNeil’s First Design (16.1) Hermon MacNeil’s first concept for the new Liberty Standing Quarter…
- MacNeil’s “Standing Liberty Quarter” and “I’ve Got a Secret” April 4, 1966 (15.8) 100 years after the birth of Hermon MacNeil and fifty…
- Edward A. Van Orden, “Collecting a Masterpiece; an Introduction to the Standing Liberty quarter” (15.5) ~~ SLQ ~~ Part One ~~ In September 2019 the…
- RE-APPEARANCE of Hermon MacNeil’s 0wn “Personal 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter” ~ Part 2 (14.3) The first Standing Liberty Quarter struck in 1916 was given…
INDEPENDENCE DAY ~~ 247 Years !!!
Posted by: | CommentsHermon MacNeil’s Commander-in-Chief
George Washington on Arch in NYC

General George Washington with Flags (U.S. and POW/MIA) ~ Washington Arch Greenwich, NYC (Photo courtesy of: Gibson Shell – 2011)
click BELOW for MORE.
INDEPENDENCE DAY
~ ~ ~ ~ 0 ~ ~ ~ ~
Images of
Happy 4th of July
from Dan Leininger, Webmaster

The Stars and Stripes fly day and night at the home of Webmaster Dan Leininger in South Dakota. They are illuminated dusk to dawn by automatic lighting. (The tie, however, only waves on special occasions like July 4th.)
Related posts:
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- Hermon MacNeil at the 1893 Columbian Exposition ~ ~ ~ THE CHICAGO YEARS ~ ~ (6) CHICAGO YEARS: Partners and Colleagues When Hermon MacNeil came home to the…
- More “Confederate Defenders” Protests; AND Ten Years Ago on this Website. (6) Sunday (July 12, 2020) saw continued protest at the Confederate…
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- MacNeil’s Bust of John Stewart Kennedy ~ 100 Years Ago ~ THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY (5.8) A BRIEF NOTE from the Webmaster: “We did not discover…