Jim Licaretz Receives 2008 ANA Numismatic Art Award

Philadelphia artist Jim Licaretz is the 2008 recipient of the American Numismatic Association’s Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture. He will accept the honor on Aug. 2 at the ANA World’s Fair of Money® in Baltimore.

A medallic artist at the U.S. Mint since 2006, Licaretz was a sculptor/engraver there from 1986 to 1989. He spent a year with The Franklin Mint and was a master sculptor for Mattel, Inc. for five years. In between, he taught life modeling and figure sculpture at Philadelphia’s Fleischer Art Memorial, and was a member of the faculty at Otis-Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles (1992-94) and Academy of Art University in San Francisco (1995-2000).

“Although I was familiar with Renaissance and 19th-century French medals, it wasn’t until sculptor Eugene Daub introduced me to the American Medallic Sculpture Association (AMSA) in 1985 that I realized contemporary artists were creating handheld art,” said Licaretz. “It was quite a revelation to me to see these small, personal statements in various materials that were being recognized as medals.”

His involvement with AMSA, which he now serves as president, led to his participation in the Fédération Internationale de la Médaille (FIDEM). In September 2007, Licaretz exhibited three medallic works at FIDEM’s 30th Congress and Exhibition, hosted by the ANA’s Edward C. Rochette Money Museum in Colorado Springs. His recent work for the U.S. Mint includes the 2008 Bald Eagle $1 reverse and Andrew Jackson Presidential $1 obverse.

“The greatest appeal of medallic art is the freedom one has to create his or her own world on a small scale,” Licaretz said. “Though there are exceptions, most medallic sculpture has a magic and uniqueness not found in most art forms. I love that with the simplest of materials – clay, plaster and wax – an artist can birth something very personal.”

Sam Deep to Receive Exemplary Service Award

Pennsylvania collector Sam Deep will receive the American Numismatic Association’s Exemplary Service Award Aug. 2 at the Baltimore World’s Fair of Money®. The ANA presents the award annually to recognize an individual or entity (club, corporation, firm or association) who has performed services on behalf of the Association that are “above and beyond” the call of duty.

An ANA member since 1980, Deep is a regular convention exhibitor and exhibit judge. He prepared his first exhibit for an ANA show in 1987, won the Rodger P. Hershey People’s Choice Award in 2004 and took top honors with the Howland Wood Memorial Award for Best-in-Show Exhibit in 2002.

Deep has received the Association’s Goodfellow Award for serving as general chairman of the ANA’s 98th Anniversary Convention in Pittsburgh (1989), two Presidential Awards (1998, 2008) and the Glenn Smedley Memorial Award (1998).

A leadership coach and organizational development consultant by profession, Deep volunteered his time and expertise in October 2007 to help define and encourage a working relationship between the ANA staff and the newly elected Board of Governors. Other hobby organizations have recognized Deep’s contributions. The Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists presented him its Frank Gasparro and Gilroy Roberts Awards, and he was named a Numismatic News Numismatic Ambassador.

ANA Awards Medals of Merit to Gordon Donnell, Jim Majoros and William Rau

Gordon R. Donnell, Jim Majoros and William G. Rau will receive American Numismatic Association Medal of Merit awards at the World’s Fair of Money® in Baltimore, July 30- August 3. The annual award is presented to individuals who have dedicated numerous years of service to the Association and to promoting the hobby.

Gordon R. Donnell of Oakland, Calif., is always willing to share his love of the hobby and actively recruits new collectors. A member of many local, regional and national clubs, he served as president of the Pacific Coast Numismatic Society, San Francisco Coin Club, Alameda Coin Club, Northern California Numismatic Association and International Organization of Wooden Money Collectors; and as vice president of the Liberty Numismatic Society and Diablo Numismatic Society. An ANA member since 1988, Donnell was a district delegate from 1993 to 2007 and received the Outstanding District Delegate Award in 1997 and Outstanding Club Representative Award in 1998. He was a member of the local committees for ANA conventions in Sacramento (1995) and San Francisco (2005). He received the ANA Presidential Award in 1994 and Glenn Smedley Memorial Award in 2004. He was named a Numismatic News Numismatic Ambassador in 2003.

Jim Majoros of Toms River, N.J., has actively promoted numismatics in his home state for many years and served as vice president of the Garden State Numismatic Association. When he became president of the Ocean County Coin Club in 1995, he reacted to its lack of a young collector program by developing one that not only sparked an interest and provided learning tools, but also helped club membership grow. Majoros’ experience and enthusiasm was contagious, and he served as the ANA’s National Young Numismatist Coordinator from 2002 to 2005. An ANA member since 1990, he was named the ANA’s 2007 Adult Advisor of the Year. In addition, he received the ANA Presidential Award in 2002 and Glenn Smedley Memorial Award in 2005.

William G. Rau of Frankenmuth, Mich., has been a collector since the 1950s. Retirement afforded him more time to actively promote and assist the Flint Flying Eagle Coin Club, which he currently serves as vice president. His other club affiliations include the Michigan State Numismatic Society, Central States Numismatic Society and Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Rau has donated his talents and many volunteer hours to the ANA’s Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library by inventorying more than 26,000 auction catalogs and 19,000 fixed-price lists. He also has assembled a database of more than 100,000 auction records of U.S. pattern coins from the 1850s to the present.