Moneta italiana da 100 lire CuNi 81/19
Italia turrita circondata dall'iscrizione "REPVBBLICA ITALIANA". In basso L. CRETARA	Valore tra rami di ulivo, il millesimo (1993) ed il segno di zecca (R) per Roma. Sopra aquila e sotto delfino

Laura Cretara ( Rome, 28 december  1939) was an Italian  medallist and  engraver.

Biografy

Following her father's footsteps (Francesco was a painter and engraver, member of the  Comunist Party of Italy), she had her first artistic trainingat home. ^[1] She completed her education attending the Artistic High School, then the  Accademy of Beautiful Arts of Rome. Later, she attended the "Scuola dell'Arte della Medaglia della Zecca di Stato" (School of Art of Medal of the Mint of State) where she had teachers like  Guttuso, Fazzini, Giampaoli and Balardi.

In 1961 she was employed as engraver at the Mint of Rome and in 1970 she drew the reverse of the silver coin of 1000 lire struck for the 100th anniversary of Rome as Capital. She's been the first woman in Italy to sign a coin.

She designed the 100 lire coined since 1993, as well as the national face of the  one euro coin with the Vitruvian man by Leonardo.

She also designed great part of the Italian bimetallic coins of 500 lire.

Note

Other projects

[[Category:Italian medallists]] [[Category:1939 births]] [[Category:20th-century Italian sculptors]]