Letter
Dear Ms. Gibson:
In its public meeting of 19 October conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed alternative designs for a Congressional Gold Medal honoring lawyer Benjamin Berell Ferencz, a lifelong advocate for international criminal justice. The Commission provided the following comments and recommendations.
Consistent with the preferences of the Mint’s liaison and Mr. Ferencz’s family, the Commission members recommended obverse alternative O-01B and reverse alternative R-04A, noting that this pairing includes the symbolic set of five stars on the reverse. They commented that the reverse text “Law. Not War.” should be rendered without punctuation, consistent with the traditional treatment of text on coinage; the recommended reverse already sufficiently conveys the phrasing through typographical hierarchy. They also suggested refinement of the wreath on the reverse design, which would potentially benefit from close study of historic examples for rendering this traditional compositional element.
As always, the staff is available to assist you with future submissions.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Ventris C. Gibson, Director
United States Mint
801 9th Street, NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20220