I am so excited...I just got to ask John Mercanti a couple question in a Live Stream!!!
Kurisu
Posts: 2,045 ✭✭✭✭✭
I just had pretty good timing on a YouTube live stream. Fully just tooting my own horn lol!!!
That was very special 
If I could send John a thank you note I would! The Channel was Coin Snacks With Jack, not a huge channel, it was so cool!!!
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
7
Comments
Let us know what the questions were and what answers he gave and we can tell you if he got the answers right.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I asked if he's been more influenced by coin designs or if the artistic influences come from other things when he designs for coins.
He said he doesn't look at other coin designs much at all. He likes to put his own influences into it. His own style, something a little extra... He doesn't want to be too influenced by the literal past designs.
Then I asked how he would define his own style? Because to me, his style has a bit of that Scandinavian design wonderfulness (coins and other things).
He said he tries to be a little stylistic, because he's done so much work involving realism.
He spoke about slipping in a bit of his own "stylism" even when the initial design request was for realism.
He compared it to Emeril Lagasse's "kick it up (a notch)!" lol!
Here's the re-play of the live stream (hope it's ok to post, no I have no affiliation with this channel but I'm now a fan!), I missed the first two thirds or so, so I'm watching it now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAEPm0uyJz8
I asked my questions around 45 minutes in.
John also gave out a couple great numismatic tid-bits about some designs!
Including this goodie which almost no one knows, until now!
by the sculptor of the reverse, Matt Peloso (spelling?), who actually hid his initials in the bushes because the mint wouldn't let him put his initials on it but he had told John about it lol!
On the George Washington 1982 commemorative dollar there are initials hidden in the bushes
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
I asked if he's been more influenced by coin designs or if the artistic influences come from other things when he designs for coins.
He said he doesn't look at other coin designs much at all. He likes to put his own influences into it. His own style, something a little extra... He doesn't want to be too influenced by the literal past designs.
Then I asked how he would define his own style? Because to me, his style has a bit of that Scandinavian design wonderfulness (coins and other things).
He said he tries to be a little stylistic, because he's done so much work involving realism.
He spoke about slipping in a bit of his own "stylism" even when the initial design request was for realism.
He compared it to Emeril Lagasse's "kick it up (a notch)!" lol!
John also gave out a couple great numismatic tid-bits about some designs!
Including this goodie which almost no one knows, until now!
by the sculptor of the reverse, Matt Peloso (spelling?), who actually hid his initials in the bushes because the mint wouldn't let him put his initials on it but he had told John about it lol!
On the George Washington 1982 commemorative dollar there are initials hidden in the bushes
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
Here is a John Mercanti coin I picked up on the BST:
Double
Pete
I pulled out one of my '82 Washington commemoratives and looked deep into those bushes. I think I see the MP hidden there along the ground in the bushes...but it is sooo tiny I can't be sure. I love cool facts like this! What other things are hidden on our coins?
The way Mercanti visually described looking at the full sized sculpture... I'd agree, he seemed to be indicating that it was indeed tiny on even the larger original. It looked like Matt P, the sculptor, leaned over to him after John didn't notice them and simply said, "John...look in the bushes."
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
Nice artical
Interesting... and to think the hidden initials have gone unnoticed for so long....Cheers, RickO
@Kurisu said:
Deja vu
Cool chat congrats
I asked if he's been more influenced by coin designs or if the artistic influences come from other things when he designs for coins.
He said he doesn't look at other coin designs much at all. He likes to put his own influences into it. His own style, something a little extra... He doesn't want to be too influenced by the literal past designs.
Then I asked how he would define his own style? Because to me, his style has a bit of that Scandinavian design wonderfulness (coins and other things).
He said he tries to be a little stylistic, because he's done so much work involving realism.
He spoke about slipping in a bit of his own "stylism" even when the initial design request was for realism.
He compared it to Emeril Lagasse's "kick it up (a notch)!" lol!
Here's the re-play of the live stream (hope it's ok to post, no I have no affiliation with this channel but I'm now a fan!), I missed the first two thirds or so, so I'm watching it now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAEPm0uyJz8
I asked my questions around 45 minutes in.
John also gave out a couple great numismatic tid-bits about some designs!
Including this goodie which almost no one knows, until now!
by the sculptor of the reverse, Matt Peloso (spelling?), who actually hid his initials in the bushes because the mint wouldn't let him put his initials on it but he had told John about it lol!
On the George Washington 1982 commemorative dollar there are initials hidden in the bushes
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
Nice article.
Thanks for sharing.
What just happened?
I didn't re-post this above...says it was posted about 15 minutes ago.
I didn't even have any drafts sitting around...I wasn't even here in the forum lol!
Mods...what just happened?!
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
Here's my latest addition by the former Chief. Have all of the regular strikes and high-reliefs in the same grade, working on the standard proofs which are tougher to track down. By the way, how do I get the image to appear rather than a link? Note- I'm an old guy so explain it slowly.
Never mind. Worked it out.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet John and converse with him. He is a very nice well respected gentleman and shared some interesting aspects of his life. I’m really glad I met him since I’m a huge fan of his work. He also autographed my book that he wrote as well as took some pictures of us together. I still need to purchase that wedge-tail.