Obverse: At top, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN; on r., 1706/1790; in ex., .PRINTER.PHILOSOPHER./ .SCIENTIST.STATESMAN./ *DIPLOMATIST* - Bust in 18th century dress l., with horizontal truncation; to l. and r., laurel branches.
Reverse: Classical allegorical vignette: on l., History std. r. on three steps, inscribing shield, with altar and two fluted columns
to l.; on r., Literature, Science and Philosophy (represented by figures of a young woman holding books, a young nude man
with back outward holding a fulmen and a caduceus, and an older bearded man holding a scroll) stg. l.; on lower r., artists'
monogram
Uniface; designed by A. Saint-Gaudens, modeled by Henry Hering. Note: [glued to back, typed onto a white paper disc] This
is the obverse of the first design for the Franklin medal to be struck by act of Congress to commemorate the duo-centennial
of his birth. It was composed and sketched by Augustus St.-Gaudens and modeled up (I believe) by Henry Hering, an assistant.
A. St.G. had it reduced and two or three replicas made, but did not like it at all. He then turned the whole job over to his
brother, Louis St.-Gaudens, who modeled both the obverse and reverse as finally accepted and struck. (A. St.-G. said that
this (Hering's) design looked like an old woman wearing a tiara. His brother left off the wreath and made Franklin a properly
dignified person.)
1961.137.5http://numismatics.org/collection/1961.137.5mb_physical,osm,imperiumobjecthttp://numismatics.org/search/id/https://numismatics.org/themes/mantisdisplaypk.eyJ1IjoiYmhpaWJuZXIiLCJhIjoiY2xlZWZqZmJjMGdheDNwcW1qaHM2MWZ4cSJ9.oR2ZyKdE7BYKzQkjiotNSghttp://numismatics.org/search/manifest/1961.137.5American Numismatic Society
