In the November 1920 issue of
The Numismatist - the official publication of the American Numismatic Association (
ANA) - Anthony de Francisci - "a young sculptor" - was identified as the artist who created the models for the Maine Statehood Centennial Half Dollar; he was not, however, listed as the coin's designer.
The actual designer was not known to the
The Numismatist at the time, nor were the names of those on the coin's design committee. It did note, however, that de Francisci had his own design ideas but that he was directed to model the design sketches provided to him by the committee.
In 1922, the
American Numismatic Society (ANS) published Howland Wood's
The Commemorative Coinage of the United States. In keeping with the account in
The Numismatist, the early work listed de Francisci as the artist responsible for the coin's models but not the original designs.
In the years that followed, Anthony de Francisci was often cited as the coin's designer vs. the modeler of another's designs. IMO, this was likely due to the fact that he was a known, named artist who had worked on the coin vs. some unknown designer(s).
Eventually, it came to be known that Harry Cochrane of Monmouth, Maine (b. 1860; d. 1946) created the design sketches for the coin (with guidance from the coin's committee) and that the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) engaged de Francisci to create/sculpt the coin's models from the sketches. The coin's generally bland designs are likely the result of "design by committee" vs. uninspired artistic creativity by the talented Cochrane. As noted above, de Francisci was reported to have suggested a more "artistic" design for the coin, but such was not accepted and he subsequently proceeded with the sketches he was provided.
Artist Harry Cochrane, circa 1905
(Image Credit: Monmouth Museum; Harry L. Plummer. Public Domain.)Cochrane was a multi-talented artist, known not only for his work as an artist (illustrator and painter), but also for his skills as a musician, composer, singer, writer, muralist and architect. As a noted local artist who had roots in Maine, he was a natural selection to work with the Maine Centennial committee on its commemorative coin.
The designs of the 1920 Maine Statehood Centennial Half Dollar, while not inspiring, do bring to mind images of the "Pine Tree State."
1920 Maine Statehood Centennial Half Dollar
For more of my stories about commemorative coins and medals, including more on the Maine half dollar, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 07/22/2024 12:16 pm
