The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 9, March 4, 2007, Article 29

FEATURED WEB SITE: SAINT-GAUDENS' COINS AND MEDALS

This week's featured web site is the Coin and Medal section of the
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.

"Saint-Gaudens had a keen interest in the medallic arts. He referred
to his early relief portraits as "medallions," and made some of these
in circular form. Saint-Gaudens' portrait of his friend John Singer
Sargent reveals the sculptor's familiarity with the art of classical
Roman numismatics. With his first official medal, for the centennial
of George Washington's inauguration in 1889, Saint-Gaudens created
"the first medal of real artistic value made in this country," according
to Richard Watson Gilder.  Gilder hoped that the Washington medal would
have an effect on the future design of United States coinage.

"In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt commissioned Saint-Gaudens to
prepare new designs for the ten and twenty-dollar gold coins and the
one-cent piece. Saint-Gaudens was the first sculptor to design an
American coin, and several of his assistants went on to make significant
contributions in this field. Although the president was enthusiastic,
and supportive of Saint-Gaudens, the commission became fraught with
difficulties. The general problem was to relate Saint-Gaudens' desire
for high relief to the exigencies of mass production and use."

Featured Web Site

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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