The American Arts Commemorative Series medallions initially started with the sale of an entire bar set for reasons of bookkeeping but were later produced in small sizes as suggested by Jesse Helms.
For reasons of bookkeeping, an entire bar was set as the minimum purchase, which placed the gold outside of the reach of most Americans. North Carolina senator Jesse Helms was critical of the plan, saying that he was "opposed to the sale of U.S. gold to foreign and international banks and gold dealers" and that medallions should be "produced in small size, suitable for sale to average citizens". 
