United States Silver Dollar Coin (reverse)

Anthony de Francisci, United States Silver Dollar Coin (reverse), 1921, silver, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Anthony de Francisci, 1966.51.80
Copied Anthony de Francisci, United States Silver Dollar Coin (reverse), 1921, silver, 1 1⁄2 in. (3.9 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Anthony de Francisci, 1966.51.80

Artwork Details

Title
United States Silver Dollar Coin (reverse)
Artist
Date
1921
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
1 1⁄2 in. (3.9 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Anthony de Francisci
Mediums
Mediums Description
silver
Classifications
Keywords
  • Animal — bird — eagle
  • Allegory — place — America
Object Number
1966.51.80
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.51.80

Artwork Description

This silver dollar commemorates the end of World War I and the international conference on limitation of armaments. The United States Commission of Fine Arts, established by Congress in 1910, selected Anthony de Francisci’s design for the coin. The original design for the reverse showed the eagle grasping a broken sword, but many Americans saw this as a symbol of defeat and protested the image. With no time to make new models, United States Mint engraver George Morgan, working under de Francisci’s supervision, cut the sword from the steel hub and crafted olive leaves from the remains. The work took a full day to complete and the change went undetected for eighty years.