Draft:Jim Licaretz
Jim Licaretz is a prominent American sculptor and medallic artist who served with the Franklin Mint
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Jim Licaretz (born September 9, 1949) is a prominent American sculptor and medallic artist who served as a Sculptor-Engraver for the United States Mint. He is widely recognized for bridging the gap between traditional hand-sculpting and digital technology, being among the first to integrate 3D scanning and digital clay modeling into the U.S. coinage design process.[1]
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Jim Licaretz | |
|---|---|
 Jim Licaretz | |
| Born | September 9, 1949 |
| Education | Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts |
| Occupations | Sculptor, medallic artist |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Employer(s) | United States Mint, Mattel, Franklin Mint |
| Known for | Coinage design, digital sculpting (ZBrush) |
| Awards | FIDEM Grand Prix (2025), ANA Numismatic Art Award (2008) |
Career
Licaretz served two separate tenures as a Sculptor-Engraver at the United States Mint, first from 1986 to 1989 and returning from 2006 until his retirement in 2016.[2][3] In the interim, he worked as a master sculptor for Mattel and the Franklin Mint. He has served as the president of the American Medallic Sculpture Association (AMSA) and is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.[4][5]
Notable Works
- 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Cent: Sculpted the reverse of the "Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky" penny.
- Presidential $1 Coins: Designed the obverse for Andrew Jackson (2008) and Lyndon B. Johnson (2015).[6]
- 2008 Bald Eagle Proof Silver Dollar: Designed the reverse of the commemorative coin.[7]
- Humanitarian Medals: Created high-relief medals for the Jewish-American Hall of Fame, including portraits of Volodymyr Zelensky (2022) and John Lewis (2021).[8]
Awards
- FIDEM Grand Prix (2025): Awarded the top international prize at the XXXVIII FIDEM Congress in Munich for Autoritratto di Fantasia (Fantasy Self-Portrait). In 2025, Licaretz was awarded the FIDEM Grand Prix in Munich for his cast medal Autoritratto di Fantasia. The judges praised the work for its blend of traditional modeling and imaginative, modern panels.[9][10]
- Mel Wacks Judaica Art Medal Award (2025): Honored for his innovative self-portrait medal featuring Jewish icons Leonard Bernstein and Oliver Sacks.[11]
- American Medal of the Year (2023): Awarded by the American Medallic Sculptors Association for his high-relief portrait of Volodymyr Zelensky.[12]
- ANA Numismatic Art Award for Excellence (2008): A lifetime achievement award from the American Numismatic Association for cumulative contributions to medallic sculpture.[7]
Technique
Licaretz utilizes ZBrush and FreeForm Modeling Plus to create "digital clay" models.[13] For his award-winning art medals, he often begins with a hand-sculpted reference which is then captured via 3D scanning and refined digitally to achieve anatomical precision at a small scale.