U.S. Circulating Coins

U.S. Ciculating Coins

***Coins not shown in actual size

Pictured here are the four United States Circulating Coins that I was fortunate to have designed and sculpted as a Sculptor / Engraver at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, PA.  These were all produced in 2000.

All but one of the Quarter Dollars were designed in conjunction with the various state committees.  The South Carolina committee had sent very few concepts, and they didn’t transfer well as medallic topics.  So I asked if I could submit an additional design with the Carolina wren,Carolina Jessamine, Palmetto, and an outline of the state.  That is the design they chose.

The “Golden Dollar” was an open design competition that drew 123 entries.  I had one design favored by the Treasury Department, and another design favored by the Fine Arts Commission.   I was asked by the Secretary of the Treasury, Robert Rubin to provide several variations of the originally favored design, and the one that was issued in 2000 is the one he chose.

My family and I attended the unveiling of the Golden Dollar designs at the Whitehouse on May 4, 1999, where we were greeted in the Diplomatic room by Hillary Clinton.  Glenna Goodacre, who designed and sculpted the portrait of Sacagawea and Baptiste on the Obverse of the Golden Dollar, was also in attendance with her family.

This was a real highlight of my career, as I believe it was an honor and a privelege to have held the position of a U.S. Mint Sculptor / Engraver, and had the opportunity to create historical Comemmorative Coins, Medals, Circulating and Bullion Coins.

Oregon

Oregon Model

Pictured here is a montage of some of the outstanding wildlife encountered in the state of Oregon.  A Bald Eagle, Elk, and Salmon.   In the backgound, you can see one of the many costal lighthouses, and mountains which symbolize the “Three Sisters Wilderness”.   The medal emphasizes the beauty and life that abound here.   A Douglas fir rises up throughout the design and caresses the name “OREGON”.

Also shown here is the manner in which I have chosen to market these medals.  I call them “MEDALS N’ MYRTLEWOOD”.  Myrtlewood is a very hard and beautifully grained wood that grows mostly in Israel, and on the Oregon coast.

Myrtlewood

The medals are 2 1/2″ in diameter, and are set into 3 1/2″ Myrtlewood rounds. Each comes with it’s own min-easel for display.

 

Creation

Creation Stained Glass panel

Pictured here is a stained glass window that I designed which depicts “CREATION” as described in the first book of the old Testament titled Genesis.

I did the design, and my wife Margaret transferred it to stained glass.   We installed it on an inside wall of the Beatty Valley Gospel Mission, and put in a lightbox behind it.

We attend services at the mission, and so numerous were the compliments on the design, I sculpted it as a pendant, and paired it with an early Christian influenced sculpture of Jesus Christ on the other side.

Inventors’ Hall of Fame Medal

Inventors' Hall of Fame Medal

In 2006, I was commissioned by the Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio, to re-design the medal that is presented to their new inductees each year.

It is only natural that Thomas Edison’s portrait appears on the Obverse, as he was the United State’s most prolific inventor. Abraham Lincoln, whose portrait and quote shares the medal, was also an inventor, and a strong proponent of the patent system. He invented a flotation device to aid grounded ships.

Shown here is the original plaster model used in the striking of the high relief 3″ medals. The finished medal with ribbon is shown on my ‘HOME” page.

I was honored to have designed and sculpted this prestigious medal, as I believe our nation’s inventors are true heroes…many working for large corporations, and never credited for their accomplishments.”

If you ever get the chance, please visit the Inventors Hall of Fame…I’m sure you will be in awe, and amazed, as I was!

United States of America

“Pictured here is the reverse of the 2000 Golden (Sacagawea) Dollar. Part of the design process was a National competition with over 120 entered designs. I was honored to have had my design selected by Robert Rubin, the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, and I sculpted the plaster model used to make the dies that struck the coins. The front of the coin was designed and sculpted by the late Glenna Goodacre, who was a very talented sculptor, and a gracious lady.

AT MY DESK AT THE U.S. MINT IN PHILADELPHIA, WORKING ON THE SACAGAWEA $1.00 REVERSE