Cincinnati, Oh, March 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With over 185 years of minting expertise, Osborne Mint is the oldest privately owned and operated mint in America. Throughout the years Osborne Mint has struck commemorative rounds for presidents, challenge coins for numerous institutions and a plethora of silver, copper and brass rounds for collectors and investors. This is, however, the first time Osborne Mint has been able to feature classic art, let alone art of this caliber: paintings hosted by the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) representing America’s contributions to the world of art. Osborne Mint’s initial artistic selections were inspired by paintings from William Henry Holmes, Frederic Edwin Church, Frederick J. Waugh and Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze.
“What a way to display and share art, what a conversation starter, what a tribute to the Smithsonian; it was our goal at Osborne Mint to achieve all three of these directives with the minting of our Fine Art Collection,” stated Gibson Olpp, Marketing Manager, Osborne Mint. “These miniaturized pieces of art are of a value all their own.”
Where to start? - Beyond the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), the Smithsonian Institute also includes 19 additional museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives and the National Zoo. The SAAM alone is home to one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world, with more than 7,000 artists represented in the assemblage. Osborne Mint pondered how to possibly select only four pieces of art for the opening set? The selection process was first narrowed down to oil paintings, then paintings of 100 years or older and finally paintings that hold esteem in the art world by representing American art.
How can this be? - In February of 2020, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G Bunch III announced a solution to eventually share every piece of the Smithsonian collections with the masses. Bunch introduced Smithsonian Open Access, an initiative that removes Smithsonian copyright restrictions from about 2.8 million items in their digital image collection and includes open access to nearly two centuries of research and data. The launch of the Smithsonian program is the largest and most interdisciplinary open access program to date, with plans to add an additional 3 million images before early 2021. Smithsonian Open Access designates the images released with a Creative Common Zero (CCO) status, which waives the Institution’s copyrights and permits usage for both commercial and non-commercial, without the need for Smithsonian permission or payment. For Osborne Mint this declaration provides a newfound wealth of possibilities for artistic license without additional costs. Items that have begged to be minted in silver, copper and brass can now be crafted by their skilled artisans.
What’s the appearance? - These art renditions, colorized onto two ounce, .999 fine silver ingots are perfect for the art aficionado that wants to hold the art in their hands and examine the paintings close-up. Osborne Mint’s colorization process enables them to replicate these paintings with correct hues and saturation while demonstrating all the passion and fortitude with which the original artist painted. Now with Osborne Mint’s Fine Art Collection you can bring these wondrous pieces of art into your home, share them with friends and use them as an investment tool as well.
The first ingot to be minted and released features the artistry of the following:
Cliff Houses on the Rio Mancos, Colorado by William Henry Holmes - This 1878 landscape painting is oil on canvas, mounted linen and portrays William Henry Holmes’ view of the pueblo houses façade against the background of the breathtaking Colorado cliffs perched high above the Rio Mancos River. Holmes was a skilled explorer, archaeologist, cartographer, geologist, mountain climber and artist. His paintings often depicted the beauty that he encountered on his adventures. The Cliff Houses on the Rio Mancos, Colorado shows Holmes’ earth tone palette and artistic skill focusing on detail.
The remaining three silver ingots will be released throughout the year:
Aurora Borealis by Frederic Edwin Church – The 1865, oil on canvas painting hangs on display on the 3rd floor of the North Wing of the SAAM. The artist Frederic Edwin Church strove to always combine his passions for both art and science. His paintings often infused layers of metaphorical meaning. The iconography of the Aurora Borealis depicts the Arctic expedition of Isaac Israel Hayes by portraying his schooner locked tight in the ice. Overhead, the skies capture the auroras as their fluorescence illuminates the heavens. The embedded metaphor in this artwork, optimism for the future, is depicted by dint of the shining light through the ship’s window, keeping hope alive.
The Knight of the Holy Grail by Frederick J. Waugh – A 1912 painting of oil on canvas that portrays a knight’s quest in search of the Holy Grail. Angels greet the young plebe and light his path across the waters, steering him and his vessel free of the cliffs. Both the still waters and still sky suggest that his journey will continue without consequence. The artist, Frederick Waugh, was primarily known as a seascape artist and hailed for his ability to convey the sublime force of nature at moments of turbulence and tranquility.
Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze – This dramatic painting, completed in 1857, depicts the pending battle between the revolutionary forces and the British army. The centerpiece of this artwork is the emboldened presence of George Washington mounted on his trusted steed, with his sword thrust to the sky, leading his militiamen into battle as a triumphant hero in the making. It is believed that this painting is a complement to another, more well-known Leutze painting, Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851). Leutze was a passionate history painter, a genre of painting that is defined by its subject matter rather than artistic style.
The works of this avant-garde collection of artists establishes a canon of oil paintings highly representative of true American art. Even with many of these original paintings being between fifteen and twenty inches wide and tall (The Washington Rallying the Troops painting is almost 22 FEET long), the renderings of these portraits on our silver ingots remains true to life.
While the obverse of the ingot hosts the re-creation of these magnificent pieces of art, the imagery is highlighted further with an elaborate frond pattern frame of .999 Fine Silver. With the two-ounce ingot serving as a uniform canvas, the silver literally frames these phenomenal pieces of art. These pieces now connect beyond just being paintings in the Smithsonian; they are all also collectible ingots of silver. Measuring dimensionally 2.5” x 1.7” these collectibles are perfect for holding in the palm of your hand, displaying on your bookshelf or stacking in your vault. The reverse of these ingots stay true to the world of art, with Osborne artists crafting the look of real hanging wire and hardware. A quick glance and you would think that this piece could actually hang on the wall. This creative addition to these collectibles makes the pieces more unique. Along with the look of the hanging wire is a stamped certificate of authenticity that names the collection, the lead Osborne artist for the project and defines the content as a 2 oz. .999 Fine Silver. The back of the piece also contains the Osborne Mint seal of authenticity.
When can you get them? The initial silver ingot depicting Cliff Houses on the Rio Mancos, Colorado by William Henry Holmes is currently in production. The first ingot will be available for purchase directly from Osborne Mint’s ecommerce website entitled Shop The Mint in the next month or so. Items purchased directly from the Osborne Mint ecommerce site will be differentiated by hosting an embossed O|M onto the printed certificate of authenticity. The remaining pieces will also be available on the ecommerce portal as they are released. Subscribe to Osborne’s newsletter and follow them on their social media outlets to be made aware of when each piece of art is obtainable.
Why Osborne Mint? - All of Osborne Mint’s works of art are crafted and produced solely in the United States of America, with the highest of standards for quality, precision and authenticity for which Osborne Mint is world-renowned. These collectible masterpieces are preserved as proofs in tailored plastic capsules and are accompanied with an embossed certificate of authenticity. Your Osborne Mint Fine Art Collection will always be on display and at your fingertips to covet and enjoy.
Osborne Mint products are proudly made in the USA and every purchase of an Osborne Mint product supports American jobs.
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About Osborne Mint: www.OsborneMint.com / #OsborneMint
Established in 1835, Osborne Mint is America’s oldest continuously operating private mint. Osborne Mint is part of the Osborne Coinage family, which includes Osborne Coin, TokensDirect and Van Brook of Lexington. The mint, a 60,000 square foot facility in Cincinnati, Ohio, houses the development, engraving and manufacturing of numismatic quality collectible rounds and coins. Products made by Osborne are manufactured to strict standards for metal purity, weight and dimensions. Osborne Mint strikes thousands of collectible rounds annually and circulates them to the public through certified distributors. Now one can purchase collectibles direct from Osborne Mint through their e-commerce portal (Shop-The-Mint.com). Featured collections include: designs by Lisa Parker, Anne Stokes’ Dragons, The Galaxies and Nebulae, The Fight for Freedom’s Sake and The American Legacy Collection. Gold plate, fine silver, copper and brass collections from Osborne Mint are truly pieces of art and are 100% “Made in America.”
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For more information on Osborne Mint visit our website: www.OsborneMint.com
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