Inception of the 1921 Peace Dollar

[WoodenJefferson]

 

The model for the Peace Dollar was Teresa Cafarelli De Francisci, the wife of the coin's designer, Anthony De Francisci. As a small child emigrating to the US from Italy in 1902, her ship passed by the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. Lady Liberty made an indelible impression on young Teresa. Growing up, she often playfully posed as Liberty, holding her torch high. Modeling as Miss Liberty for the Peace Dollar was a great honor and the fulfillment of a childhood dream, she wrote. Later in life, she was a humble guest at numismatic shows, Teresa Cafarelli De Francisci died in 1990 at the age of 92.

 

The Model:

Teresa de Francisci was a modest, unassuming woman. For many years, however, she had a distinction possessed by few other Americans: Her likeness appeared on one of the nation’s coins.

 

The coin was the Peace dollar, the last true silver dollar made for circulation by the United States Mint, and Mrs. de Francisci served as the model for the modern-looking Miss Liberty it portrayed.

 

She had the inside track for that job: Her husband, sculptor-medalist Anthony de Francisci, was the coin’s designer. They were still relative newlyweds at the time, having met and married shortly before – and both were new Americans, having come from their native Italy in the turn-of-the-century wave of immigration from southern Europe.

 

The future coin model – then Teresa Cafarelli – was only a small girl when she came with her mother in steerage class from Naples to New York. Legend has it that when she first saw the Statue of Liberty, she assumed a similar pose, foreshadowing her portrait on the dollar. She later cast doubt on this account, but admitted it made good reading.

 

“Later,” she added, “I was, of course, impressed by that statue. I think it’s a wonderful statue, and I think it means a great deal to almost everyone who has come over here from another country. And I’ve been very grateful to this country all my life.”

*mintage for circulation, 1,006,473 (matte proof shown)

 

Teresa Cafarelli graduated in 1918 from Clinton High School in Clinton, Mass. – the first Italian-born girl to do so. She was introduced to de Francisci by her brother Michael, who had met him at art school in New York.

The de Franciscis were living in New York when the coin opportunity came along in 1921.

 

“We were living in a fourth-floor walk-up in Manhattan, on West 60th Street,” she told me in an interview many years later, “and Anthony had his studio there, as well. And that's where I posed for the coin.

 

“What he wanted,” she said, “was a portrait of Liberty – an idealized portrait of what it represented to him. I posed for it; whatever he got from life, he got from me. But he didn’t set out to make a portrait of me, and I wouldn’t really say that’s what it was.”

 

Perhaps not, but there is a striking resemblance between the Peace dollar’s fresh-faced portrait of Miss Liberty and photographs of Teresa de Francisci taken at about the same time. Her hair, then dark brown, turned silver white with age and her once-smooth brow grew creased, but even years later she still had the classic profile of the youthful coinage model.

 

“Anthony never expected he would win,” his widow confided more than half a century later. “He was so young at the time, and some of the finest men in the country were invited.”

 

The field was exceptionally strong, including such first-rate artists as Adolph A. Weinman, designer of the “Mercury” dime and Walking Liberty half dollar; Hermon A. MacNeil, creator of the Standing Liberty quarter; and Victor D. Brenner, designer of the Lincoln cent.

 

Anthony de Francisci wasn’t a rank beginner by any means. Just one year earlier, he had designed the 1920 commemorative half dollar marking the centennial of the state of Maine, a well-received accomplishment that probably led the Treasury to invite him. But he was only 34 – and despite his reputation as a talented young sculptor, he seemed to have little chance against such glittering superstars in the field of medallic art.

 

“Anthony was so certain he would lose,” his widow said, “that he told his artist friends, ‘I’ll give you a silver dollar if I win.’ Then, when he did win, we ordered 50 pieces from the Mint – and he gave them all away to keep his promise. He never even kept one for himself.”

*Mintage of Proofs, estimated 15, Proofs come with matte and satin finishes in about equal rarity. (matte proof shown)

 

“We were never collectors,” Mrs. de Francisci explained. “Anthony was content to do the creating and let others do the collecting.”

 

Today, those 50 pieces have more than merely sentimental value. The 1921 Peace dollar had a relatively low mintage of just over 1 million, and well-struck specimens in top condition can bring thousands of dollars.

 

As winner of the contest, her husband did receive a prize of $1,500 – a very substantial sum in those days. Each losing artist got $100 for taking part.

“They gave the artists very little time,” Mrs. de Francisci said. “But Anthony was quick and facile. In fact, he submitted two completely different designs for the reverse.”

 

The federal Commission of Fine Arts, which judged the entries, first chose a de Francisci design showing an eagle breaking a sword in its beak. Later, however, the panel reversed itself and chose instead his other design – the one that appeared on the coin – which shows a more passive eagle resting atop a crag and looking off into the horizon.

 

The Peace dollar was issued annually from 1921 to 1928. It went to the sidelines after that before returning for two final years in 1934 and ’35.

 

Teresa de Francisci outlived her husband by three decades, dividing her later years between a New York apartment and a quiet retreat in Rockport, Mass. She was 94 when she died in 1994, survived by a daughter, Gilda, the couple’s only child.

 

 

 

The Sculptor:

 

De Francisci immigrated from Italy 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 such as Fraser, MacNeil, and Weinman.

 

Late in 1920, 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 then Warren G. Harding (1921-1923). 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.

 

De Francisci used his wife Mary Teresa as the model for the Liberty head of the Peace Dollar and when asked about its design, de Francisci "told a newspaper columnist that the portrait was not a 'photograph' of Mrs. de Francisci but was a 'composite' face that 'typified something of America'" De Francisci also said about the design of the Peace Dollar "that his goal was to capture the spirit of the country--its intellectual speed, vigor and vitality."

 

The 1921 Peace Dollar was struck in very high relief, giving the coin an impressive, medallic appearance similar to that seen on the "High Relief" $20 Gold Pieces of 1907.

 

Anthony de Francisci went on to create many important works, both large and small – but, while his output included numerous medals, he designed no further coins. He died in 1964 at the age of 76.

 

~Images of 1921 Peace Dollar "Coin Facts"

 

~Some text by Ed Reiter and Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

 

[rbrown4]

Woody,

 

Very interesting post, facts and history. Thanks for sharing.

 

Rey

[EZ_E]

Woodrow, what an outstanding post! I've always been fascinated with both coin hoards and coin models and have tried to read up on both subjects.

 

You included lots of information about Teresa that I never knew. Thanks for the post!

 

p.s. The matte proof is the way a peace dollar should look! The only business strike that I've seen close to such a full strike is Bruce Lee's example that he picked up at a flea market.

[MikeInFL]

Thank you for posting this interesting history of the Peace dollar. However, please consider the following:

 

De Francisci used his wife Mary Teresa as the model for the Liberty head of the Peace Dollar and when asked about its design, de Francisci "told a newspaper columnist that the portrait was not a 'photograph' of Mrs. de Francisci but was a 'composite' face that 'typified something of America'" De Francisci also said about the design of the Peace Dollar "that his goal was to capture the spirit of the country--its intellectual speed, vigor and vitality."

 

If the sculptor himself disavowed that it was Mary Teresa that was the model, why do you suggest otherwise?

 

Am I missing something?

[WoodenJefferson]

As the story goes, Teresa "sat" (posed) for her husband Anthony at his studio on West 60th Street in Manhattan. He did not intend to create a portrait of Teresa for the coin, but her image inspired a composite to create the Miss Liberty on the Peace Dollar.

 

There is however, a striking resemblance between the Peace dollar’s fresh-faced portrait of Miss Liberty and photographs of Teresa taken at about the same time...coincidence or artistry well executed?

 

You have to be the judge.

 

I vote a strong likeness...what better way to show your love for eternity than to be engraved on a coin.

 

[rrantique]

Great post Woody.

[DWLange]

Roger Burdette is finishing up a comprehensive book on Peace Dollars for publication later this year. I have a copy of the manuscript, and it's a doozy.

[RWB]

A very nice post.

 

Unfortunately, the source articles were written several years ago before the real story of the Peace dollar was uncovered. Rather than make a long list of inaccuracies, I’ll refer board members to either Renaissance of American Coinage 1916-1921 (available from booksellers), or the forthcoming Collectors’ Guide to Peace Dollars 1921-1964 which should be available later this year.

 

PS: Although Teresa de Francisci modeled for her husband, the primary source image was a portrait bust by Saint-Gaudens titled “Nike Erini” (Victory – Peace). Also, the Commission of Fine Arts selected the adopted reverse – they did not select de Francisci’s version with an eagle breaking a sword.

 

[WoodenJefferson]

RWB

 

~perhaps this post will stir added interest in your about to be published book about the history of the Peace Dollar~

 

 

[astrostu]

Yeah, I didn't think it was his reverse chosen. Thanks for clearing that up, RWB. I don't suppose you'd like someone to help edit your manuscript? I'm really big on proper grammar.

[RWB]

Thanks for the offer! I'll keep it in mind for the next book project. This one's a bit too far along and will soon be in the hands of the publisher's editors.

[WoodenJefferson]

A very nice post.

 

 

 

PS: Although Teresa de Francisci modeled for her husband, the primary source image was a portrait bust by Saint-Gaudens titled “Nike Erini” (Victory – Peace). Also, the Commission of Fine Arts selected the adopted reverse – they did not select de Francisci’s version with an eagle breaking a sword.

 

Now I'm a bit confused...was the final adopted reverse that of de Francisci's or was it someone elses design that was choosen?

 

This is what the article I used reported and what I had listed:

 

The federal Commission of Fine Arts, which judged the entries, first chose a de Francisci design showing an eagle breaking a sword in its beak. Later, however, the panel reversed itself and chose instead his other design – the one that appeared on the coin – which shows a more passive eagle resting atop a crag and looking off into the horizon.

 

Of note: do you RWB or anyone out there have an image of this rejected reverse...

[physics-fan3.14]

Collectors Guide to Peace Dollars 1921-1964

 

Mystery, intrigue, and the whole works going on there with the title. Can't wait to find out what you dug up on the 1964 Peace dollar.

[DaveG]

The two de Francisci reverse designs are shown on page 202 of RWB's Renaissance of American Coinage, 1916-1921.

[RWB]

Photos of the original obverse and two reverse designs by de Francisci are in Renaissance of American Coinage 1916-1921 and will also be in the Peace dollar book. (The competing artists were instructed to submit one obverse featuring a portrait of Liberty and two reverse designs.)

 

The CFA selected de Francisci’s reverse that is much like the one on the coin – main differences are that the eagle’s head is less upright on the original, and the word “Peace” is missing. After selection, the sculptor was told to make revisions based on the CFA’s comments, the Saint-Gaudens bust, and Jim Fraser’s guidance. The revised reverse design was the same as the 1921 reverse except the eagle had a sword with broken tip under its talons. This was mentioned in a Treasury press release and caused a huge uproar of objection – the broken sword was considered by many as a sign of defeat. (Hundreds of letters and postcards still exist on this – compare to the extant “0” on the phony “bare breast” nonsense about the SL quarter.)

 

With no time to make a new model and get reductions made, George Morgan, accompanied by de Francisci, spent a day slowly converting the sword into an additional olive branch, parts of the eagle’s legs and talons and mountain top. You can see traces of the work in the unusual sharpness of detail in the eagle’s lower legs (compare with the feathers) and the lower olive leaves (you can still see engraving tool lines on the sides of the leaves).

 

The Treasury, Mint, CFA and sculptor all stuck to a concocted story (“spin”) saying that the sword was never really part of the selected design. In a way, that was true since the sword was not part of what the CFA originally chose. They omitted saying that it had been added and approved by the President, Sec Treas, etc., then manually removed.

 

PS; The guy who got the ‘broken end of the sword’ was George Morgan. His fantastic engraving skill saved the project from failure – and no one knew until RAC 1916-21 was published in 2005!

[WoodenJefferson]

WOW!!!

 

Now this is an explaination!

 

Thanks

[MikeKing]

This is a great post, and a delightful read. Thanks very much.

 

 

[MikeInFL]

As the story goes, Teresa "sat" (posed) for her husband Anthony at his studio on West 60th Street in Manhattan. He did not intend to create a portrait of Teresa for the coin, but her image inspired a composite to create the Miss Liberty on the Peace Dollar.

 

There is however, a striking resemblance between the Peace dollar’s fresh-faced portrait of Miss Liberty and photographs of Teresa taken at about the same time...coincidence or artistry well executed?

 

You have to be the judge.

 

I vote a strong likeness...what better way to show your love for eternity than to be engraved on a coin.

 

I was under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that the above was just a story, and it wasn't Teresa that was used as the model. Thus my question. Regardless, thanks again for the post & your response. I appreciate it.

 

Have a nice weekend...MIke

[DC Dawg]

If you have not read any of the volumes in the Renaissance of American Coinage series, my advice is to go out and get them. They are phenomenal references, well written, and well researched! The volume covering 1905-1908 (first, red cover) won the 2007 Numismatic Literary Guild Book of the Year Award, and the 1916-1921 (third, blue cover) won the 2006 Numismatic Literary Guild Book of the Year Award! It would not surprise me that the most recently released 1909-1915 (second, white cover) volume won the award for 2008!

 

Yes, I own all three volumes and autographed!!

 

I will definitely purchase his Peace Dollar book when it is released! And Roger, I want it autographed, too!

 

Scott

[RWB]

Autographs are free!

I'll be participating in the authors' autograph sessions at the summer ANA in Baltimore.

 

Re: MikeIn FL's question.

Teresa often modeled for her husband. After all, Anthony de Francisci was not a top-tier sculptor commanding high fees (like Jim Fraser). He had to limit what he paid for professional models. The AAA archives include several sketches and clay models of Teresa clothed, draped in classic robes and nude. None of these were translated literally into finished works. It was the same with the dollar coin design. It was consistently presented by de Francisci as a composite representation of Liberty, although it clearly owes something to Teresa’s youth and vitality. Newspaper photos published in January 1922 attempt to squeeze Teresa into looking like the coin. (Much the same as happened with the Morgan dollar “model.”)

 

[RWB]

I think coin dealer Wayne Herndon is organizing the authors' book siginings at the summer ANA convention in Baltimore.