FRANK GASPARRO - He had quite a career - He died 20 years ago today

1630Boston

The E-Sylum: Volume 4, Number 42, October 14, 2001, Article 3

FRANK GASPARRO DIES

Dick Johnson wrote the following obituary of the late Chief
Engraver Frank Gasparro for the American Medallic Sculpture
Association. It is published here with permission:

Frank Gasparro, who held America's highest office for
creating coins and medals died September 29, 2001. He was
92 years old and remained active, teaching a recent class at
Philadelphia's Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, as he had
done for 47 years.

Famous for creating America's coin that Americans came to
hate, the Susan B. Anthony dollar in 1979, he was also the
artist who redesigned the reverse of the Lincoln cent on its 50th
anniversary, in 1959. This occurred during his own 50th year
and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
His FG initials appear on his Lincoln Monument reverse struck
on billions of cents.

At the other extreme he was the medallic artist for the coin of
greatest denomination struck in America, a 1987 Bahamas
$2,500 gold coin bearing Columbus and Isabella for Franklin
Mint.

As Chief Engraver at the U.S. Mint he created eight circulating
coins (all or part) and four commemorative coins (both sides,
or he did the obverse with the reverse by another artist). He
also produced the models for coins of Guatemala, Cuba,
Philippines struck at the Philadelphia Mint, and Panama proof
coins struck by Franklin Mint.

His medallic work included five presidential medals for President
Eisenhower through Carter, 19 Assay medals, nine Secretaries
of the Treasury, three portraits of his immediate superiors -- all
women -- Directors of the Mint, two military decorations and,
privately, two American Numismatic Association badges.

And it will be near impossible for any American sculptor to top
the value of one of his medals -- the official 1976 Nation's
Bicentennial Medal, one variety of which was struck in 13.18
troy ounces of solid gold selling today for the equivalent of a
small car!

Frank Gasparro will be listed in the new directory of American
coin and medal artists being compiled by AMSA member
Dick Johnson. "Frank's entry contains 488 lines," states the
compiler, "he had approved the entry and wrote me two weeks
ago. It is sad he died when he was such a productive medallist,"
he said, "but his memory lives on as his medallic works will
exist for thousands of years!"

JBK

He had a certain style that some collectors don't care for, but I came to appreciate his designs.

BuffaloIronTail

A no nonsense guy. All around good Chief Engraver.

I always had a good impression of him.

Pete

Mgarmy

I bought a pencil drawing from him of Kennedy and a set of coins he designed around his signature.

DrDarryl

My research on Frank Gasparro led me to his 1965 biography that was sent by Eva Adams, Director of the Mint, to the congressional committee for his confirmation to be "Chief Sculptor and Engraver of the U.S. Mint". As part of his submitted biography, a list of his executed works at the U.S. Mint was provided (up to February 10, 1965). This is an impressive list at the time.

Frank Gasparro's submitted biography is part of congressional record.

Introduction by Eva Adams, Director of the Mint.

Biography of Frank Gasparro

Then my research hit the jackpot, somewhat. List item #5 on the list was what I was looking for. The first public record of these presidential medals that tied Frank Gasparro as the designer (there are internal US Mint and other US Government Agency memos that I hold that already confirmed this). However, the purpose of these medals is stated incorrectly (I have documented proof). This is one instance that the Director of the Mint got it wrong.

The image below is the complete series of the Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy Appreciation medals that are documented in my second book on list item# 5 (working on a third book). I am honored to be the first numismatic researcher to organize and form the series, name the series, and catalog the series for the first time ever. It took over a half-century after the first medal was struck to "discover" a previously unknown US Mint medal series.

Additional information about list item# 5 can be found at https://potus-sgm.com/

ricko

Truly an accomplished professional. Highly skilled and, from the various testimonials, a good administrator and of sterling character. Cheers, RickO

Goldminers

Frank Gasparro designed this coin to replace the Ike dollar that he had also designed, but after President Carter got involved, we ended up with the one pictured below it. Interestingly even that was not his original design for the SBA dollar which was a younger version of her "that looked too pretty", so it was rejected and he was told to do an older version of her. Moral of the story, don't always blame the designers for what we end up with.

Goldminers

coinsarefun

coinsarefun

I need better picks of these but you can see the top left is Frank
Bowers and Merena Liked him so much they asked him to make the silver rounds for them. He's doing a self potrait

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Goldminers

@coinsarefun said:

Can or did Dan Carr, do one of these that does not say copy?

coinsarefun

@Goldminers said:

@coinsarefun said:
!

Can or did Dan Carr, do one of these that does not say copy?

.
.they do say copy but not Carr nor GMM. I forget, need to look them up but I purchased several of each from a forum member here. Extremely if not impossible to come by these