Post Your Coins And Medals Designed By A Woman

Though the 1935-39 Arkansas Statehood Centennial coin was designed by a man, Edward Everett Burr, it was modeled by a woman, Emily Hanford Bates. (The typical job of a modeler is to transform two-dimensional design drawings into three-dimensional models from which coinage dies are ultimately produced.) Each artist was selected for their role in the project by the Arkansas Honorary Centennial Celebration Commission (the group that sponsored the coin); the fact that both were born in Arkansas played into their selection.

Ms. Bates was born on April 16, 1908 in Arkansas (possibly in or near Batesville). She was married to Fredric Isaac Schooler Jr. (1910-1989) on April 10, 1936 in Independence, AR; I have not found any records that indicate the couple had children.

It does not appear that Ms. Bates had a significant career as a professional artist/sculptor - I have not found a single piece of artwork (other than the Arkansas coin) that is credited to her! No pieces in a museum, no public works and no artwork for sale! Her work might be only in private collections that are not documented on the internet, but the fact that there appears to be no record of what she created, gives the impression that her career was limited in scope. In its two-line entry on Bates, the Bennett, et al. reference cited below states, "Full activity unknown, active circa 1935." I guess I'm not the only one that can't find much re: the artwork of Ms. Bates!

Beyond the Arkansas commemorative coins, Bates appears not to have been active in the numismatic arena (coins or medals); the two Arkansas coins appear to have been her first and only numismatic projects.

Ms. Bates died in Jefferson (Pine Bluff?), AR on September 3, 1987 at the age of 79.

1935-39 Arkansas Statehood Centennial Half Dollar


Bates' model for the coin's obverse (the eagle side) was also used for the 1936 Robinson-Arkansas half dollar. Charles Keck was responsible for modeling the reverse/Robinson portrait based on a sketch by Enid Bell. (Read more about Ms. Bell here: Enid Bell - Coin Designer.)

1936 Robinson-Arkansas Statehood Centennial Half Dollar



You can find other of my posts about the Arkansas half dollar here:

- 1935 Arkansas Statehood Centennial
- 1935-39 Arkansas Statehood Centennial - Ephemera
- B Max Mehl & The Arkansas Centennial
- 1935-39 Arkansas Statehood Centennial - Coins with Stars Thread.
- 1935-39 Arkansas Statehood Centennial - Coins Depicting Mythology Thread.
- 1935-39 Arkansas Statehood Centennial - Coins with Hats Thread.

To learn more about Senator Robinson and this coin, check out:

- 1936 Robinson-Arkansas Statehood Centennial
- 1936 Robinson-Arkansas Statehood Centennial - Coins with Stars Thread


Other of my post about commemorative coins and medals can be found here: Read More: Commems Collection.


Works Consulted/Cited

- Bennett, Swanee, Carman, Jennifer & Worthen, William B. Arkansas Made: A Survey of the Decorative, Mechanical, and Fine Arts Produced in Arkansas, 1819-1950. Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press. 2021.

Here's one of many medals designed by Laura Gardin Fraser - a 1930 Massachusetts Bay Tercentenary commemorative medal.

From a notice about the medal in the February 1931 issue of the American Numismatic Association's magazine, The Numismatist, "The obverse shows the bust of John Endicott, first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The pear tree shown on the reverse is from the original root planted 300 years ago by Governor Endicott."

The 4" bronze medal was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York; it is believed that just 200 examples were struck.

The 300th anniversary of the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was the subject of a commemorative half dollar proposal introduced in Congress in 1929. The bill called for 500,000 50-cent pieces "in commemoration of the three hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and constitutional government authority." The bill was passed by the House, but failed to achieve Senate approval and, thus, never became a reality.





More of my posts about commemorative coins and medals can be found here: Read More: Commems Collection.

Yvonne Holton designed this 2007 £2 coin commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union, which united the countries of England and Scotland and created the United Kingdom. The countries had been ruled by the same monarch since the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, but had retained separate parliaments, armies and currencies:


Yvonne Holton is a Scottish Herald Painter, so she designs and researches coats-of-arms. Among her other work she created the emblem for the United Kingdom's Supreme Court:

You can read more about her here:
https://heraldpainter.co.uk/aboutme.html

Here's the first of three medals I have that were designed/sculpted by Eleanor Platt - it is the Hall of Fame for Great Americans at New York University medal honoring Maria Mitchell. Shown is the bronze version; the medal was also produced in silver. Mitchell is acknowledged as the first female astronomer.

In 1847, Ms. Mitchell discovered a new comet (Officially: Comet 1847-VI; Informally: "Miss Mitchell's Comet"). The discovery made her famous and earned her a gold medal from Frederick VI, the King of Denmark and election into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1848. She later became a professor of astronomy at Vassar College.

Eleanor Platt was born in Woodbridge, NJ on May 6, 1910. She studied at the Art Students League in New York City from 1929 to 1933, and maintained a studio in New York throughout her professional career.

Eleanor Platt with Bust of Louis D. Brandeis

(Image Credit: Photograph Archives, Smithsonian American Art Museum)

She built her legacy on creating sculpted busts of prominent American figures such as Albert Einstein, Chief Justice Earl Warren, Associate Justice Louis D. Brandeis and Judge Learned Hand of the Federal Court of Appeals. In addition, she received a number of commissions to create medals, including several for the Hall of Fame of Great Americans, an award medal for the American College of Trial Lawyers and an award medal for the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association. She was not involved in the design of any US commemorative coins.

Ms. Platt was married first to Charles Flavin (the marriage ended in divorce), then to Victor Russo (he died in 1957). She did not marry a third time.

Ms. Platt met an untimely and unfortunate death at the age of 64. She was murdered in her studio in the Park Plaza Hotel in August 1974; August 30 is the assigned date, though its accuracy is not 100% certain.

Awards and Recognition:

- Chaloner Prize Foundation Award (a three-year scholarship to study in Paris) - 1940
- American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letter, $1,000 Grant - 1944
- John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in Fine Arts - 1945

Maria Mitchell Hall of Fame Bronze Medal



A very nice introduction to these NYU-HoF medals can be found on the Medal Collectors of America web site here.

Fascinating example!

Very nice!

Impressive medal!