De Francisci was born Maria "Mary" Teresa Cafarelli in Laurenzana a town south of Naples, Italy to Donatantonio "Donato" and Rosagnese "Rosa" Emma.

[2] In 1921, the United States Commission of Fine Arts held a contest in order to determine who would design the new silver dollar that was to be issued as a commemorative of peace.

The artists invited were Chester Beach, Victor David Brenner, Anthony de Francisci, John Flanagan, Henry Hering, Hermon Atkins MacNeil and Adolph Alexander Weinman.

[3] Due to time constraints, de Francisci was unable to schedule a professional model to pose for the obverse depiction of Liberty.

[3] In describing his technique, he stated "I opened a window of my studio and let the wind blow on her hair while she was posing for me.