Irish Free State Coinage Design--Scilling

Artist

Paul Manship, born St. Paul, MN 1885-died New York City 1966

Luce Center Label

In 1926, Paul Manship was selected to participate in an international competition to design the coinage of the Irish Free State. Dublin-born poet William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) had proposed a general motif of animals associated with Irish life, including a hen, ram, salmon, hare, wolfhound, wood duck, harp, and bull’s head. Manship lost the competition to English sculptor Percy Metcalfe, but graciously acknowledged that, had he been on the jury, he would have made the same decision. Manship’s design here is for the shilling, or twelve pence.

Credit Line

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist

1927

Object number

1965.16.68

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Sculpture-Medal-Sample

Medium

bronze

Dimensions

4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm) diam.

Department

Painting and Sculpture

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Topic

Animal\cattle

Object\other\money

Record ID

saam_1965.16.68

Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk791b663ab-0857-4c4b-8cee-dd63fd09d984