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V4 2001 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

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!"

Wayne Homren, Editor

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