# Anthony DeFrancisci artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/anthony-defrancisci/
Profile generated: 2026-05-05T06:39:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1887-06-13
- Death date: 1964-10-20
- Nationality: Italian, American
- Movements: American numismatic and monumental sculpture, early 20th century
- Common media: Sculpture (bronze, plaster, stone), Coin and medal design (struck metal)

## About Anthony DeFrancisci

Anthony DeFrancisci (1887–1964) was an Italian-American sculptor and medalist best known for designing the United States Peace Dollar, first minted in 1921. Born in Italy, he emigrated to the United States in 1903 and became a naturalized citizen in 1913. He studied sculpture under James Earle Fraser and George Thomas Brewster before establishing a career in coin and medal design. DeFrancisci also produced freestanding sculptural works and commemorative medals over an active career spanning roughly 1907 to 1964. He taught at the School of Architecture from 1915 to 1929. Collectors most frequently encounter his work through the Peace Dollar series and various commemorative medals issued by the United States government and private organizations.

## Common works and media

DeFrancisci's most commonly encountered works are struck silver coins—particularly the Peace Dollar in its various mint-year issues. He also designed commemorative medals, inaugural medals, and other struck-metal pieces for US government and private commissions. Less frequently, his freestanding bronze and plaster sculptures, portrait busts, and architectural reliefs appear at auction. Collectors may also find preparatory sketches, plaster models, and galvano shells related to his coin and medal designs.

## Market and appraisal context

Anthony DeFrancisci's original sculptural works appear infrequently at auction. The Appraisily auction-record index contains only three recorded lots spanning 2000–2026, two of which carry realized prices: a bronze nude statue sold for $475 at Hill Auction Gallery in April 2026, and a titled bronze sculpture ('Twilight', c. 1935) brought $3,737 at Toomey & Co. Auctioneers in May 2002. A third lot—an oil-on-board painting attributed to DeFrancisci—appeared at Mystic Fine Arts in 2000 with no reported price. The wide price dispersion ($475–$3,737) across just two priced lots reflects the variety of media and scale involved (freestanding bronze sculptures versus a small painting) rather than a stable price curve. Liquidity is low: only one lot appeared in the most recent 12-month window, and zero in the prior 12 months. Named auction houses include Hill Auction Gallery, Mystic Fine Arts, and Toomey & Co. Auctioneers—all regional US houses rather than major fine-art salerooms. DeFrancisci's primary market presence remains in numismatics (Peace Dollar coinage), where his designs circulate as mass-produced silver coins outside the fine-art auction channel.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Anthony DeFrancisci's original sculptural works appear infrequently at auction. The Appraisily auction-record index contains only three recorded lots spanning 2000–2026, two of which carry realized prices: a bronze nude statue sold for $475 at Hill Auction Gallery in April 2026, and a titled bronze sculpture ('Twilight', c. 1935) brought $3,737 at Toomey & Co. Auctioneers in May 2002. A third lot—an oil-on-board painting attributed to DeFrancisci—appeared at Mystic Fine Arts in 2000 with no reported price. The wide price dispersion ($475–$3,737) across just two priced lots reflects the variety of media and scale involved (freestanding bronze sculptures versus a small painting) rather than a stable price curve. Liquidity is low: only one lot appeared in the most recent 12-month window, and zero in the prior 12 months. Named auction houses include Hill Auction Gallery, Mystic Fine Arts, and Toomey & Co. Auctioneers—all regional US houses rather than major fine-art salerooms. DeFrancisci's primary market presence remains in numismatics (Peace Dollar coinage), where his designs circulate as mass-produced silver coins outside the fine-art auction channel.

### Appraisal notes

An appraisal of a DeFrancisci work should begin by establishing whether the object is an original sculptural artwork by the artist (bronze, plaster, stone, oil painting) or a mass-struck coin/medal bearing his design. For original sculptures, the appraiser would photograph the piece, record dimensions, medium, and any signature or foundry marks, assess condition (patina, repairs, structural integrity), and document provenance. The two priced auction comparables—a bronze nude at $475 and a titled bronze ('Twilight') at $3,737—provide a loose range but are too few and too dispersed in date to anchor a tight estimate without adjusting for inflation, scale, subject, and condition. Additional comparable research beyond the Appraisily index would strengthen any formal valuation. For coins and medals, standard numismatic grading guides (PCGS, NGC) apply and fall outside a fine-art appraisal framework.

### Valuation factors

- Medium and scale: freestanding bronze sculptures carry a different value tier than small-format oil paintings or preparatory plaster models
- Attribution clarity: distinguish original artworks by DeFrancisci from mass-produced coins bearing his Peace Dollar design
- Condition: patina quality, structural repairs, and surface condition significantly affect bronze sculpture value
- Provenance: documented exhibition history or collector provenance can elevate value above the thin comparable base
- Title and subject: named, dated works with exhibition records (e.g. 'Twilight', c. 1935) may command premiums over untitled or generic nudes
- Rarity: original sculptural works are far scarcer than DeFrancisci's numismatic output, which may increase desirability among sculpture collectors
- Name-variant search: auction records appear under multiple romanizations (De Francisci, de Francisci, DeFrancisci); comparable searches should cover all forms

### Collector notes

- Original DeFrancisci sculptures are uncommon at auction—only three lots recorded over 26 years—so collectors should not assume frequent buying opportunities.
- The $475–$3,737 price range from priced lots reflects different media and subjects; a well-documented, large-scale bronze with good provenance could exceed this range.
- DeFrancisci is best known for the Peace Dollar (1921–1935), but those are numismatic collectibles, not fine-art sculptures. Ensure you are buying an original artwork, not a struck coin.
- When acquiring a DeFrancisci bronze, request foundry marks, signature documentation, and any exhibition or provenance history to support future resale value.
- Regional auction houses (Hill, Toomey & Co., Mystic) have handled his work; setting alerts at mid-tier US salerooms may surface future lots.
- The unpriced Mystic Fine Arts lot was an oil painting—a medium not commonly associated with DeFrancisci—so attribution should be verified before purchase.

### Market caveats

- The auction-record sample is very thin (3 lots, 2 priced over 26 years), so any price-range conclusions are indicative only and should be supplemented with broader comparable research.
- One lot (Mystic Fine Arts, 2000) is an oil painting, which is not a medium listed in DeFrancisci's primary output; attribution confidence for this lot may be lower.
- DeFrancisci's name appears in multiple romanized forms across catalogues; search results may undercount his true auction footprint.
- Mass-produced Peace Dollar coins are not fine-art lots and are excluded from this analysis, but they dominate the collector market for DeFrancisci-related material.
- The two priced lots are separated by 24 years; the $3,737 result from 2002 has not been inflation-adjusted and may not reflect current market conditions.
- No museum or institutional collection records for original sculptures are cited in the source pack, limiting ability to confirm a canon of recognized works.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/anthony-defrancisci/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable / Hill Auction Gallery: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anthony-defrancisci-1887-1964-bronze-nude-statue-108-c-cedee38fc9
- Invaluable / Toomey & Co. Auctioneers: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anthony-defrancisci-italian-american-1887-1964-twilight-c-1935-bronze-with-red-gold-471-c-vwcnohosv7
- Invaluable / Mystic Fine Arts: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anthony-defrancisci-1887-1964-catholic-church-rockport-oil-on-board-14-x-18-s-reverse-178-c-enwpulb4sd

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine published artist-identity research from library-authority and museum sources with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Anthony DeFrancisci, identity data is grounded in the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, RKD, and Wikidata authority files.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4773770
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500048630
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/96004462/
- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/120919
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_de_Francisci