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1938 Jefferson Nickel design by Wilhelm (William) and Franz (Frank) Hejda

ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited October 26, 2021 5:17PM in U.S. Coin Forum

With the recent revival of the 1938 nickel design by Anthony DeFrancisci thread, I decided to look up the entry by Frans Karel Hejda again. I was always suspect of this attribution because I couldn't find any reference to a person with this name and I was also interested in locating the auction photos of the plasters. The name was used in Heritage's 2001 auction:

https://coins.ha.com/itm/patterns/1938-pattern-jefferson-nickel-pr66-deep-cameo-uncertified-not-listed-in-judd-or-pollock-left-facing-bust-of-jefferson-gazing-u/a/267-8420.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515

Lo and behold, less than a month go on Dec 18, 2017, a person on CoinCommunity.com posted personal information of this piece attributing it to Wilhelm and Frank Hejda, relatives of his wife. Wilhelm Hejda is a well known Austrian sculptor and medallist who lived from May 26, 1868 to January 19, 1942, being born and passing in Vienna. His son Franz lived in the US and may have been the reason for their entry into the competition.

16 years after the Aug 2001 Heritage sale, this mystery is solved and this piece is attributed to a famous sculptor. What a nice outcome.

Here's the information from the thread:

https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=152994

The 1938 nickel competition submission is not from Frans Karel Hejda as it is most often and erroneously ascribed, but rather the father and son team of William (Wilhelm) and Frank Hejda. Frank and Willem and relatives of my wife and we own what we believe is the the original submission mold inscribed with the words Competition.

Here's Wilhelm's Wikipedia page and photo:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Hejda

His son Franz/Frank seems to be less well known, but here is a sculpture signed "Hejda Franz":

https://www.bukowskis.com/en/lots/894110-unknown-artist-a-bronze-sculpture-signed-hejda-franz-and-dated-22

Update: Thanks to PCGS for slabbing these!

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