Commems Collection Classic: 1936 Battle Of Gettysburg 75th Anniversary - Approving The Design

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania sculptor, Frank Vittor, was responsible for the design and sculpt of the models for the Battle of Gettysburg Half Dollar. Vittor's designs were selected by the Pennsylvania State Commission from among 14 submitted. The Pennsylvania State Commission was established in 1935 by the Pennsylvania State Legislature to coordinate the State's Battle of Gettysburg 75th anniversary commemoration; the Commission subsequently oversaw the development, production and distribution of the Anniversary's commemorative coin as one of its tasks.

As part of the coin's design selection/finalization process, Vittor's designs were reviewed with the Sculpting Committee of the Pennsylvania Art Commission and were given approval.

In a notice printed in the November 1936 issue of The Numismatist, the official publication of the American Numismatic Association ( ANA), Vittor's designs were described as:

"One side of the commemorative half dollar will be emblematic of the observance in 1938 of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, and the other side, showing the rugged, heroic head and shoulders of a Union and a Confederate soldier, will be emblematic of the reunion of the Grand Army of the Republic and the United Confederate Veterans to be held in Gettysburg during the anniversary observance in 1938."

An interesting note about Vittor's conjoined soldier portraits...According to a report in the Prescott Evening Courier, a single model was apparently used for both soldiers on the coin. The model was James Power Sanky of Crafton, PA (a suburb of Pittsburgh), who was a Union soldier during the Civil War; he was 91 years old at the time he sat for Vittor. Though certain facial details differ between the two portraits, e.g., the Confederate soldier (at rear) is depicted with a full beard while the Union soldier features just a moustache, their general facial structure is noticeably similar.

1936 (38) Battle of Gettysburg 75th Anniversary Half Dollar



For other of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including several more on the Gettysburg half dollar, see: Commems Collection.