Dan Cirucci: Who Was Maria Teresa Cafarelli de Francisci ?

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Who Was Maria Teresa Cafarelli de Francisci ?

Maria Teresa Cafarelli de Francisci was an Italian-American woman best known as the wife and muse of sculptor and coin designer Anthony de Francisci, creator of the famous U.S. Peace Dollar. Born Maria Teresa Cafarelli in Italy, she immigrated to the United States as a child, growing up in New York amid a large community of fellow Italian immigrants. She was one of the first Italian-American women to graduate high school.

Her poise, classical features, and serene expression made her the ideal model for her husband’s artistic work. In 1921, when the U.S. Mint commissioned Anthony de Francisci to design a new silver dollar symbolizing peace after World War I, he turned to Maria Teresa as the inspiration for Liberty’s face. Though not an exact likeness, her image—radiant, youthful, and dignified—became one of the most iconic in American numismatics.

Maria Teresa and Anthony shared a lifelong devotion to art and each other. Her quiet grace and enduring image helped define a symbol of American hope and renewal that still resonates today through the Peace Dollar’s enduring legacy.

This is part of our continuing daily series spotlighting famous Italian Americans as part of Italian American Heritage Month.

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About Dan Cirucci

He's been cited by the late Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed across all media.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, a Save Jersey blog columnist, frequent guest on the Matt Rooney radio show and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.

Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.

Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post, Broad and Liberty and other print and online platforms.

A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.

He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.

In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Cirucci's passions include all things Italian, politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel.

He and his wife Carole have two grown children and seven grandchildren.

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