The records suggest Barber was on his best behavior. With three new designs, all replacing coins Barber himself had designed, it could have gotten unpleasant. By 1916, Barber was 75 years old but had a track record of being hostile to outside artists designing coins he thought he should be designing. Outside artists, not chief engraver Charles Barber, supplied designs for the previous six changes and Woolley felt this was a great option.

MacNeil to prepare designs for three silver coins. Woolley offered the opportunity to three noted sculptors, Adolph A Weinman, Albin Polasek and Herman A. The Barber coinage (dime, quarter and half dollar) was to reach that mark in 1916 and the mint wasted no time in making the changes, in fact starting the process before 1916. Under 1890 law, changes could not be made to a coin design without approval from congress more frequently than every 25 years. With the changes to the $10 eagle, $20 double eagle, the cent and nickel, it was now time for changes to the dime, quarter and half dollar. The year was 1915 and there was a movement afoot to change the remainder of American coinage.