The E-Sylum:  Volume 5, Number 39, September 29, 2002, Article 14

GOBRECHT'S INSPIRATION

  Coin designers' artistic inspirations are a popular topic
  among numismatic researchers.  In a newspaper
  advertisement (of all places) I recently saw a reference to
  Gobrecht's inspiration for one of his Liberty head designs.
  It was an ad peddling $10 gold coins.   A search of the net
  found a couple thirdhand references, but no original source
  material.  I was hoping to find an image of the painting
  in question.  In any event, perhaps one of our E-Sylum
  readers can shed some more light on the issue.

  The best account I found was on a dealer web page
  which credited Numismatic Guarantee Corp. (NGC)
  for the story and photos.  I was unable to find the same
  text on the NGC web site.

  "Director Robert M. Patterson was instructed to produce
  eagles, and Acting Engraver Christian Gobrecht, replacing
  the ailing William Kneass, prepared dies for a new design.

  Gobrecht's design, inspired by the portrait of Venus in
  Benjamin West's Painting Omnia Vincit Amor  (Love
  Conquers All), also became the prototype for the half-eagle
  and large cent of 1839."   From
  http://www.oldcoinshop.com/coinhistory/10-1838-66.htm

  This page has links to several images of West's paintings:
  http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/west_benjamin.html

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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