BURKE, Selma Hortense (1907-1995) sculptor.
Born Mooreville, North Carolina, 1 January 1907 (she also
gave her birthdate as 31 December 1900).
Her claim: John R. Sinnock may have used her bas-relief
of Franklin Roosevelt as model for the dime design.
[Cataloger's Note: I have examined a photograph of her
F.D. Roosevelt relief and it does not align in any way with
that by Sinnock for the dime model; his work is entirely
original and her claim is unfounded.]
Died New Hope, Pennsylvania, 29 August 1995.
C O I N S
1946 Roosevelt Dime [unfounded claim of creating portrait
model] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Breen 3692-3831
B I O G R A P I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
BA {1947} Who's Who In American Art: 1947 [4ed:84], 1953 [5ed:62].
101 {1969} Porter (James A.) Modern Negro Art. New York: Dryden Press (1969) p 142-143.
Px {1975) Miller (Donald) Burke Works Appealing. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (24 January 1975).
A31 {1983} Evert, p 389.
BF1 {1985} Falk, p 90.
D33 {1986} Opitz, p 117.
AE1 {1988} Falk, p 3:116.
101 {1992} Smith (Jessie Carney) Notable Black American Women. Detroit: Gale
Research, pp 128-130. (Does not mention John R. Sinnock, gives Burke entire
credit for coin design.)
BF2 {1999} Falk. Who Was Who in American Art, p 1:508-509.
D3a {2006} Benezit. Dictionary of Artists, 3:48 (gives death date 2 September 1995;
plus gives full credit to her Roosevelt portrait “that appears on the American dime
(ten cent coin).”
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
O12 {1988} Breen 3692-3831, p 329-30.
P7 {1993} Van Ryzin (Robert R.) Who Really Designed the Roosevelt Dime? Leading
Black Sculptor Clings to Belief that Roosevelt Dime Design Hers, not Sinnock's.
Numismatic News 42:48 (30 November 1993) p 1, 27-28, 34, 37-40.
Born Mooreville, North Carolina, 1 January 1907 (she also
gave her birthdate as 31 December 1900).
Her claim: John R. Sinnock may have used her bas-relief
of Franklin Roosevelt as model for the dime design.
[Cataloger's Note: I have examined a photograph of her
F.D. Roosevelt relief and it does not align in any way with
that by Sinnock for the dime model; his work is entirely
original and her claim is unfounded.]
Died New Hope, Pennsylvania, 29 August 1995.
C O I N S
1946 Roosevelt Dime [unfounded claim of creating portrait
model] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Breen 3692-3831
B I O G R A P I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
BA {1947} Who's Who In American Art: 1947 [4ed:84], 1953 [5ed:62].
101 {1969} Porter (James A.) Modern Negro Art. New York: Dryden Press (1969) p 142-143.
Px {1975) Miller (Donald) Burke Works Appealing. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (24 January 1975).
A31 {1983} Evert, p 389.
BF1 {1985} Falk, p 90.
D33 {1986} Opitz, p 117.
AE1 {1988} Falk, p 3:116.
101 {1992} Smith (Jessie Carney) Notable Black American Women. Detroit: Gale
Research, pp 128-130. (Does not mention John R. Sinnock, gives Burke entire
credit for coin design.)
BF2 {1999} Falk. Who Was Who in American Art, p 1:508-509.
D3a {2006} Benezit. Dictionary of Artists, 3:48 (gives death date 2 September 1995;
plus gives full credit to her Roosevelt portrait “that appears on the American dime
(ten cent coin).”
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
O12 {1988} Breen 3692-3831, p 329-30.
P7 {1993} Van Ryzin (Robert R.) Who Really Designed the Roosevelt Dime? Leading
Black Sculptor Clings to Belief that Roosevelt Dime Design Hers, not Sinnock's.
Numismatic News 42:48 (30 November 1993) p 1, 27-28, 34, 37-40.