Meet the Artists and Sculptors Behind the 2021 American Eagle Coin Redesigns

BURNSVILLE, Minn., Aug. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Mint has, for the first time in the program's history, redesigned the American Eagle Gold and Silver Coins in honor of the 35th anniversary. Asset Marketing Services (AMS), a retailer of coins, currency, and other collectibles, looks at the artists who made these designs possible and discusses what the redesigns mean for collectors.

"We're excited about the news, and it's important for us to take the opportunity to recognize the work that goes into these pieces of art," according to Robert Wilkie, Senior Director of Product Development at Asset Marketing Services. "For a coin with an extensive history to undergo a redesign after so long will attract the attention of many collectors, enthusiasts, and newcomers within the community. We have already seen great interest in these historical releases."

For a design to make its way onto a coin issued by the U.S. Mint, the talents of both a medallic artist and a sculptor are necessary. The artist is responsible for creating the drawing or sketch that will eventually be struck. That flat sketch is then provided to a sculptor who sculpts a three-dimensional model that is used to create accurate coin dies with visual depth.

Emily Damstra - Artistic Infusion Program Artist
Emily Damstra has a passion for storytelling through the challenging nature of coin and medal design. Damstra earned her Master of Fine Arts in Science Illustration from the University of Michigan. She has designed over a dozen coins for the Royal Canadian Mint, in addition to a number of postage stamps for the United Nations Postal Administration. Damstra's most significant artistic contribution involves collaborating with the U.S. Mint to design the new reverse of the 2021 American Silver Eagle. Out of 39 entries, Damstra's swooping Bald Eagle design was chosen to partake in this significant moment in U.S. Mint history. "My inspiration for this design grew from a desire to show our national bird - with all of the values it embodies - in a unique way that could also convey traits such as diligence, cooperation, care, and protection," explained Damstra. 

Michael Gaudioso - Medallic Artist 
Michael Gaudioso earned his Master of Fine Arts from the New York Academy Graduate School of Figurative Art in New York City, and is a graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Gaudioso is a classically trained draftsman and sculptor, having studied at the Repin Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. Gaudioso's prestigious background and experience made him the U.S. Mint's perfect choice as the sculptor for the new 2021 American Silver Eagle. The significance of the moment is not lost on Gaudioso, who said, "To be part of the American Silver Eagle's legacy is a career-defining honor."

Jennie Norris - Artistic Infusion Program Artist
A professional graphic designer, illustrator, and fine artist, Jennie Norris has an extensive background in product development and design. She has designed for a number of major retailers, and currently works as a graphic designer at the University of Arizona. It wasn't until the U.S. Mint announced their proposition for a new American Gold Eagle reverse design that Norris jumped on the opportunity to submit a design. "I saw an opportunity to bring my own appreciation and experience of nature, and raptors in particular, to a very important coin," she explained. Not only did Norris win, but it is her first design to appear on a coin!

Renata Gordon - Medallic Artist
After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2010, Renata Gordon joined the U.S. Mint's sculptor-engraving department in March of 2011. A New Jersey resident, Gordon continues to sculpt and contribute new designs for coins and medals, including sculpting the new reverse for the 2021 American Gold Eagle program - her most prestigious work yet. "It was my intent to give this piece the spirit of an eagle in its facial expression, and overall," said Gordon.

GovMint.com and ModernCoinMart are proudly offering these historical gold and silver eagle coins paired with labels hand-signed by some of the program's contributors. 

AMS, through its brands, combines to make one of the world's largest direct-to-consumer marketers of precious metals and collectible coins. To learn more about AMS, visit http://www.amsi-corp.com.

About Asset Marketing Services, LLC
Since 1984, Asset Marketing Services, LLC (AMS) has provided collectors, history buffs & others with the finest numismatic products. Its brands, GovMint.com and ModernCoinMart, combine to make one of the largest direct-to-consumer marketers of coins.

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SOURCE Asset Marketing Services, LLC