WASHINGTON - The United States Mint announced today that Sculptor-Engraver Jim Licaretz has been named the recipient of the 2008 Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture (NAAEMS). The award, conferred by the American Numismatic Association (ANA), will be presented to Mr. Licaretz on August 2, 2008, at the ANA World’s Fair of Money® in Baltimore.

“We are pleased the panel of judges recognized Jim’s body of work,” said United States Mint Director Ed Moy. “Jim’s artistry is helping the United States Mint achieve a new level of design excellence.”

Mr. Licaretz’s works are included in numerous private collections, as well as the British Museum; the Royal Coin Cabinet; the National Museum of Economy, Stockholm, Sweden; the American Numismatic Society; and the Smithsonian Institution. His recent works for the United States Mint include the reverse design of the 2008 Bald Eagle Proof Silver Dollar Coin and the obverse design of the Andrew Jackson Presidential $1 Coin.

“To be honored with the American Numismatic Association’s award is quite a welcome surprise,” said Mr. Licaretz. “There is a great responsibility in giving form to one’s experience of life. Medallic sculpture is a unique way of recording and sharing these experiences.”

Mr. Licaretz was employed as a United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver from 1986 to 1989, and returned to the agency as a Medallic Sculptor in 2006. He also was a sculptor at Franklin Porcelain and the Franklin Mint in Pennsylvania, a master sculptor at Mattel, Inc. in California, and manager of the Sculpting Department at Artistic Solutions in California. In addition, he served as a faculty member at the Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia; Otis School of Art and Design, Los Angeles; and the Academy of Art College, San Francisco.

Currently, Mr. Licaretz is president of the American Medallic Sculpture Association, and a member of the National Sculpture Society and the Federation International de le Medaille.

A native of Philadelphia, Mr. Licaretz graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. He received a Traveling Scholarship, as well as the Edmund Stewardson Prize for Figurative Sculpture, and a Philadelphia Board of Education four-year scholarship.

The ANA is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to educating and encouraging people to study and collect money and related items. Established by the ANA in 1966, the NAAEMS recognizes a living artist whose cumulative lifetime achievement in the field has been of the highest order. Past United States Mint winners of the NAAEMS include Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart and John Mercanti, Supervisory Design and Master Tooling Development Specialist.

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