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For Peace dollar fans, here are two of deFrancisci's early sketches. Others added.
RogerB
Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭
About 15 years ago I was permitted to make high resolution scans of all deFrancisci's sketches and related material. These were shared with Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Here are two of the Peace dollar preliminary sketches.Keep in mind that the artists only had a couple of weeks to complete their models.
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Who is in control of them that granted you permission? The mint?
Did the mexican caballito inspire these?
Interesting... very different from what was finally settled upon...A horse would have been nice on a large silver coin...Cheers, RickO
He also sketched a pegasus-type version, but settled on the eagle much as on the final design w/sword.
ACop: DeFrancisci's personal papers, models and other materials were donated to the Smithsonian by his daughter about 40 years ago. Smithsonian Archives of American Art Curators allowed me to examine the papers, sketches and related materials about 15 years ago. Sketches were on very poor quality sulfide paper subject to considerable oxidation, and scanning was a way of preserving the images until they could be conserved.
Nothing in his papers indicate a connection to Mexican coinage. Some of the sketches, including these, are related to deFrancisci's work on WW-I medals. The dollar eagle (below left) also is similar to one on his Verdun medal.
Here are his Verdun medal designs, followed by a sketch model of the reverse of his Versailles medal featuring a broken sword motif.
(The letter "omega" refers to the end of all war symbolized by the intact snake.)
Interesting. Thanks for posting them.
Very nice, and that reverse of the Versailles medal is impressive in symbolism...Cheers, RickO
I like the verdun medal...the roaster stand tall un afraid standing next to the eagle. Thank you for sharing.
Here's Anthony de Francisci's gilt bronze artist strike, donated to the Smithsonian by his wife, Mary Teresa.
The SI website it's currently not displayed so it's nice they have pics of it.
https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/verdun-medal-b-obverse-6568
Notice the "V" in place of the "U" as on the word "TRVST" on the dollar. As a former numismatic writer/ authenticator/ dealer I have had to explain that to many dozens of people.
The item in Zoins' post is a uniface piece. This, and other similar one-sided medals were made by deFrancisci for use on a display board he carried around when applying for medal and other commissions. The pieces have a screw thread soldered to the back, and this went through a hold in the mounting board. The piece was secured by a wing nut on the back.
(I reviewed and corrected the SI catalogs on these and other donated medals.)
I could have done the S-8 sketch! And I can't draw at all!
I think many artists start with very rough sketches such as these, just capturing the idea.
He probably did those in a matter of minutes.
My father was an artist and I remember him doing this.
He would also use a Polaroid Land Camera to capture ideas, and then use them as a reference.
BTW great pieces of history, so glad they were donated and not lost.
On the Vesailles medal I can see his style coming through in the lettering/font.
Plus the rays. Very nice.
Sugar magnolia blossoms blooming, heads all empty and I don't care ...
Interesting
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Maybe the inspiration came from
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CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
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Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
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More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC FOR SALE
Oddly, the one design reminded me of the W.T. Sherman Memorial, with just a little artistic license... Augustus St. Gaudens sculpted statue in NYC
Apologies for the ripped photos...
Oh, S-5 has the makings of a beautiful coin. "What might have been" is always interesting to consider. Thanks for digging this up and sharing it.
Members might also be interested in the J. Sanford Saltus Award Medal of the ANS by A.A. Weinman, especially the central reverse.
REF: http://beta.medallicartcollector.com/medal/j-sanford-saltus-award?scrollTop=140
awesome history!
A very interesting and very worthy thread. Thanks Roger for posting it.
There is no "end of the trail" to numismatics.
Pete
The Peace dollar portrait was directly based on Saint-Gaudens' Nike Erini which came from work on the Sherman memorial. A copy of the bust was loaned to him by James Fraser.