The sculptor who created the recessed-relief Indian Head quarter eagle and half eagle, a singular technical experiment in U.S. circulation coinage.
生平
Pratt studied with Augustus Saint-Gaudens and developed a career in public sculpture and teaching. He was selected for smaller gold denominations after Saint-Gaudens' death, working through the Mint to translate an unconventional concept into dies.
风格与影响
His gold coins place designs and lettering below a flat field, with a naturalistic Indigenous portrait and standing eagle. The recessed format was visually and technically distinct from normal raised relief. The $2.50 and $5 coins remain the only regular U.S. circulating issues built around this fully recessed design system. Their reception mixed admiration with practical criticism.