12 Facts About Frank Gasparro

Frank Gasparro was the tenth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, holding this position from February 23,1965, to January 16,1981.

Frank Gasparro designed both sides of the Susan B Anthony dollar, both sides of the Eisenhower Dollar, the Lincoln Memorial reverse of the cent, and the reverse of the Kennedy half dollar.

Frank Gasparro attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and traveled to Europe with the aid of scholarships that allowed him to refine his craft.

Friends close to Frank Gasparro had serious suspicion regarding close ties he established to organized crime while in Italy but he routinely denied any connection.

Hoover was concerned Frank Gasparro was being influenced by an Italian crime family in the town of Bari to design coins with details easily counterfeited by Italian Crime families.

Frank Gasparro's design was selected from a group of 23 designs prepared by the Mint's engraving staff to replace the Wheat cent produced by the Mint from 1909 to 1958.

Frank Gasparro initially chose the portrait of the younger Anthony, but widespread consensus was that the design made her look too pretty.

Frank Gasparro designed his coins by finding subjects, such as objects, animals, and people from various newspaper clippings, photographs, magazines, and books.

Frank Gasparro used a Xerox copier to copy photos, tracing paper to trace the shape, and transferred his designs to sketch paper.

Frank Gasparro taught art at Philadelphia's Samuel S Fleisher Art Memorial until shortly before his death.

Frank Gasparro died at age 92 on September 29,2001, in Havertown, Pennsylvania.

Frank Gasparro was survived by his wife, Julia, and a daughter.