Small Change A Big Deal To Artist

Small change a big deal to artist

By ELLEN SUNG, Staff Writer

When Jamie Franki was young, his dad said he'd never make money as an artist. But next year, his work will add up to more than $70 million, one nickel at a time.
The U.S. Mint announced Tuesday that Franki, 44, an associate professor of illustration at UNC-Charlotte, has won a competition to design the new Jefferson nickel that will debut in 2006.

Franki's design features a forward-facing Jefferson on the front, along with the word "Liberty" in Jefferson's handwriting. The nickel will have the traditional image of Monticello, Jefferson's home, on the back.

More than 1.4 billion of the new nickels are expected to be produced in 2006 alone.

"For me, this is like the 'Amadeus' for F. Murray Abraham or the Triple Crown for Secretariat," Franki said.

Grab a nickel from your pocket, and chances are it's the design the Mint used for two-thirds of a century, with Jefferson in profile, his ponytail, or queue, hanging down his neck, and Monticello on the reverse.

But in 2003, Congress authorized a series of special nickels to commemorate the bicentennials of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Jefferson was instrumental in both.

In 2004 and 2005, four special designs were minted. On the back of one of the 2005 nickels, the bison design also was Franki's. A collectible roll of the bison nickels became the Mint's best-selling product ever.

But Franki's new design will be what the nickel looks like from now on, unless Congress calls for another change.

Franki said he based the image on a portrait by early American painter Rembrandt Peale. For his work, Franki received $3,000 but said he would have done it for free.

"I don't know if I'll ever have another opportunity like this in my life," he said. "I'm going to enjoy every cent of it, I assure you."