Teresa de Francisci
Teresa Cafarelli de Francisci (May 4, 1898 – October 20, 1990) is best known as the model for the depiction of Liberty on the obverse of the Peace Dollar and as the wife of artist Anthony de Francisci.
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Personal life
De Francisci was born Mary Teresa Cafarelli in a town south of Naples, Italy to Donato and Rosa.[1] When she was four years old, she and her mother emigrated to the United States.[1] She was raised in Clinton, Massachusetts, graduating from Clinton High School in 1918. De Francisci was the first person of Italian descent to graduate the school.[1] She married Anthony de Francisci in 1920.[2] Anthony de Francisci died on October 20, 1964.[3] Teresa de Francisci died exactly 26 years later, on October 20, 1990, at the age of 92.[1]
Peace dollar model
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In 1921, the United States Commission of Fine Arts held a contest in order to determine who would design the new silver dollar that was to be issued as a commemorative of peace. The coin was slated to go into production later that year.[2] Eight sculptors were invited to take part. The artists invited were Chester Beach, Victor David Brenner, Anthony de Francisci, John Flanagan, Henry Hering, Hermon Atkins MacNeil and Adolph Alexander Weinman.[2] De Francisci's design was eventually chosen. As winner of the contest, de Francisci was awarded $1,500; the other seven participants were awarded $100 for their entries.[2]
Due to time constraints, de Francisci was unable to schedule a professional model to pose for the obverse depiction of Liberty.[2] Instead, he opted to model his depiction of Liberty on his wife.[2] In describing his technique, he stated "I opened a window of my studio and let the wind blow on her hair while she was posing for me."[2] The sculptor later stated that though his wife was the model for the coin, it did not depict a perfect likeness. In remarks published by the Minneapolis Tribune in 1922, de Francisci states that "the Liberty is not a photograph of Mrs. de Francisci. It is a composite face and in that way typifies something of America."[2] The Peace dollar officially went into production on December 29, 1921.[4] The coin was minted yearly from 1921 to 1928, and again in 1934 and 1935.[5]
References
- Howe, Marvin (October 22, 1990), "Terese De Francisci, Miss Liberty Model For Coin, Dies at 92", The New York Times, retrieved December 28, 2010
- Van Allen & Mallis, p. 410
- Anthony de Francisci. americanart.si.edu. Retrieved 2010-12-28
- Van Allen & Mallis, p. 411
- Yeoman, R.S. (2010). A Guide Book of United States Coins (63rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, LLC. ISBN 0-7948-2767-5., p. 223
Bibliography
Van Allen, Leroy C. & Mallis, A. George (1991). Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan & Peace Dollars. Virginia Beach, Virginia: DLRC Press. ISBN 1-880731-11-8.
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