Who is John Mercanti?

John Mercanti is a prolific American sculptor and engraver who served as the 12^th Chief Engraver at the United States Mint. He has the notable distinction of designing more United States coins than any other American, but Mercanti may be best known for his work on the American Silver Eagle.  

As an artist, he was influenced by Monet and other Impressionists, whose colorful perspective Mercanti still admires. Mercanti reveres John R. Sinnock, whom he describes as the master of low relief for his ability to capture the subtleties of planes in an engraving. Mercanti also looks up to Gilroy Roberts, who was reportedly so dedicated to his work that the Mint forced him to take vacations. 

Background of John Mercanti 

John M. Mercanti was born in Philadelphia on April 27, 1943. As a child, he was drawn to art and learned to draw by following instructional lessons by Jon Gnagy on television. Mercanti attended the Fleisher Art School, the Philadelphia College of Art, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. After completing his studies, John Mercanti served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard for six years.  

John Mercanti’s Career at the U.S. Mint 

Mercanti joined the United States Mint team in 1974 as an apprentice. Frank Gasparro, the Tenth Chief Engraver at the Mint, instructed him to train under various staff members throughout the Mint’s tool shop. As Mercanti learned the technology and methods for crafting dies and operating coin presses, he gained a greater appreciation for the art and craft of coin making. By the 1980s, Mercanti was designing coins, and his designs were used on American Silver Eagles and American Platinum Eagles. 

John Mercanti served as an assistant to Frank Gasparro, his mentor, and continued developing his engraving and sculpting skills through Elizabeth Jones’s tenure as the 11^th Chief Engraver. Mercanti had 32 years of service with the Mint when he was named the Twelfth Chief Engraver in 2006. Mercanti served as Chief Engraver until his retirement in 2010, marking 37 years as a U.S. Mint Engraver. The only Mint Engravers with a longer career duration were George T. Morgan, who had 48 years of experience; William Barber, who had 47 years; and Frank Gasparro, who had 39 years of service.   

Coins and Bullion Designed by John Mercanti 

Mercanti had a prolific design career and designed more coins than any other U.S. Mint engraver. The first coin he designed was a Los Angeles Olympic silver dollar issued in 1983. Since then, Mercanti has been accredited with 161 coins, designing more than 100 coins and medals for the United States Mint and others for the United Kingdom and Australia.  

Among the litany of notable issues Mercanti worked on, his reverse for the American Silver Eagle was issued from 1986 through 2021.  

His work on the American Platinum Eagle in $10, $25, and $50 denominations was issued from 1997 until 2008, and his work on the $100 American Platinum Eagle was issued from 1997 to 2022. He furthermore crafted a new reverse for each denomination nearly every year between 1998 and 2008 and a unique reverse for the $100 American Platinum Eagle from 1998 through 2016. 

List of United States Coins Designed by John Mercanti