Anthony de Francisci
| Anthony de Francisci | |
|---|---|
De Francisci in his studio
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| Born |
Antonio de Francisci July 13, 1887 Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | August 20, 1964 (aged 77) Manhattan, New York |
| Nationality | Italian-American |
| Known for | Sculpting |
| Notable work | Peace Dollar |
| Patron(s) | U.S. Mint |
Anthony (Antonio) de Francisci (Italian pronunciation: [ˌde fraŋˈtʃiʃʃi]; July 13, 1887 – August 20, 1964) was an Italian-American sculptor who designed a number of United States coins and medals. His most famous design was the Peace Dollar, which was first minted in 1921.
De Francisci immigrated to the United States in 1905 and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1913. He was the son of Benedetto de Francisci and Maria Liberante and was married to Mary Teresa Cafarelli. De Francisci "studied under some very fine coin designers: Fraser, MacNeil, and Weinman."
De Francisci served as an Academician of the National Academy of Design and a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society.
Late in 1921, the Commission of Fine Arts held a competition for the design of a new silver dollar and invited "eight prominent sculptors to participate." Several of the entrants had already designed U.S. coins and achieved considerable fame. Although the youngest participant and a novice coin designer, de Francisci "won the competition and took home the $1,500 cash prize." Regarding this event, "The Dec. 20, 1920, issue of the Baltimore Sun reported…'Eight medalists, all of them from New York, were in the competition for the award. The designs in bas-relief were exhibited privately in the office of [Mint Director Raymond T. Baker], after he had shown the winning one to President Harding. The President expressed his pleasure and approval.'" Becoming the designer of the Peace Dollar and receiving considerable publicity as a result of this accomplishment greatly boosted the reputation of de Francisci, taking his career to a whole new level.
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