Indian Head gold pieces was modified by Barber, was "worthy of J.J. Audubon". Dies for the half eagle were sent to the mints in Denver and San Francisco; both western mints reported difficulties in striking the new pieces. Landis wrote to his counterparts at the other mints, advising them that the planchets, or blanks, needed to be shaved very slightly to strike properly. The new coins proved to be thinner than earlier coins of their denomination, due to the field being raised above the design. This meant that automated sorting machines could not reliably sort them when mixed with earlier coins. The new gold
Eight Pieces for Four Timpani Eight Pieces for Four Timpani Eight Pieces for Four Timpani is a collection of short pieces by Elliott Carter for solo timpani – four drums played by one musician. Six of the pieces were composed in 1950. Two new pieces were added in 1966, and the rest were revised in collaboration with percussionist Jan Williams. Carter wrote the pieces as studies in tempo modulation and the use of four-note chords. They are a collection rather than a suite, as Carter suggested no more than four be performed at once. The pieces make heavy use of extended techniques, including playing with