Letter
Dear Ms. Gibson:
In its public meeting of 18 April conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed alternative designs for a Congressional Gold Medal honoring Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley. Noting the Mint’s intention to develop a supplemental submission for this medal, the Commission provided the following comments for the design.
Consistent with the preferences of the family representative and of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, the Commission members supported development of obverse alternative O-02 and reverse alternative R-03 as a strong pairing of clear and simple designs. They emphasized that refinement of the obverse portrait of Emmett Till to be a more recognizable and accurate depiction will be critical to the success of the medal’s design. For the reverse, they cited the appropriate sense of loss conveyed by the design but recommended adjusting the composition to show Emmett Till’s hands in a more comforting gesture of resting on his mother’s shoulders rather than on her neck.
The Commission looks forward to reviewing the further development of the design for this medal. As always, the staff is available to assist you with the next submission.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Ventris C. Gibson, Director
United States Mint
801 9th Street, NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20220