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Frank Gasparro: The Man Who Memorialized Lincoln, Kennedy, and Eisenhower in American Coinage

2021-08-23 18:00:00
Frank Gasparro: The Man Who Memorialized Lincoln, Kennedy, and Eisenhower in American Coinage
Posted in: News, News

Frank Gasparro: The Man Who Memorialized Lincoln, Kennedy, and Eisenhower in American Coinage

As the tenth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, Frank Gasparro was one of the most active designers of American currency during his time at the mint. Born August 26, 1909, coincidentally the same year that the Lincoln Cent was first struck, Gasparro was drawn to art and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. As a teen, Gasparro studied under the famous artist Giuseppe Donato, who once was a student of master sculptor Auguste Rodin, known for his iconic sculpture, “The Thinker”.  

Hired by the U.S. Mint in 1942, Frank Gasparro could not have imagined that he would have such an indelible impact during his tenure. Starting as a junior engraver, Gasparro perfected his sculpting skills as he worked with future Chief Engraver Gilroy Roberts.  In 1958, the United States Mint announced that the design for the Lincoln Cent would be changing to honor the 150th Anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth. In a contest featuring over twenty other submissions, Gasparro’s design stood out and was chosen to appear as the new reverse on the Lincoln cent.  

Gasparro’s image of the Lincoln Memorial, complete with the statue of Lincoln seated inside, was controversial as some believe the statue was not prominently displayed. Gasparro thought that without the representation of the statue, the Lincoln Memorial building would look like a library. Originally, t he design contained thirteen stars around the rim as well as the phrase “LINCOLN MEMORIAL,” but those were removed from the final design before being struck. Once approved, the Lincoln Memorial Cent became the first American coin to display the same president on both sides.

Just before becoming the tenth Chief Engraver in 1965, Gasparro was given the momentous task of honoring the recently assassinated President John F. Kennedy on American coinage. At Jacqueline Kennedy’s request, the Franklin Half Dollar would be replaced instead of the Washington Quarter. Gasparro worked on the reverse of the coin, drawing inspiration from the Eagle on the Great Seal of the United States while Roberts crafted the obverse featuring a profile of Kennedy. Their work was inspired by their previous designs created for the Kennedy Inauguration Medal just four years prior. 

Tasked again with honoring another President’s legacy, Gasparro designed the Eisenhower Dollar, which was first struck in 1971. Dreaming of depicting the former General on a coin for many years, he based the obverse on a sketch he’d made while watching Eisenhower in a parade celebrating Allied victory in 1945. For the reverse of the coin, the U.S. Mint asked that it be based on the Apollo 11 insignia, as Eisenhower had pushed NASA forward with the Apollo Space Program in 1960.

After several studies were done, it was discovered that Americans were not spending the Eisenhower dollar, and instead keeping them as a memorial to the recently deceased president.  Due to this fact, the U.S. Mint asked Gasparro to redesign the dollar coin once again. He knew this would be one of his top achievements as he would be designing the first American coin to feature a female citizen as the subject.  Gasparro’s design of Susan B. Anthony was scrutinized but ultimately accepted. Initially the new dollar coin was meant to  have as many as eleven sides instead of the familiar round shape. Rather than make this radical change to American currency, the inner border of the coin was given eleven sides to help identification by touch. The number eleven was specifically chosen to honor the Apollo 11 mission and the official Goodwill Message left on the moon which was a silicon disc with eleven sides.

In 1981, the last year that the Susan B. Anthony Dollar was struck before an 18-year hiatus, Frank Gasparro retired from the U.S. Mint. After designing the Lincoln Memorial reverse, the Kennedy reverse, the Eisenhower Dollar, and the Anthony Dollar, it is safe to say that Gasparro will forever be remembered for his contributions to American numismatics.