In
the Coinage Act of 1792, Congress mandated that all American coins
show, among other things, “an impression emblematic of Liberty.”
Originally to have featured a profile of the President, Representative
John Page argued that it was “...not the money of the President. I
am certain it will be more agreeable to the citizens of the United
States to see the head of Liberty on their coin than the head of
Presidents.” Inspired by the Greek goddess Athena and the Roman
goddess Libertas, “Lady Liberty” was born. Appearing on many coins
throughout U.S. history, her representation has changed to reflect the
times and culture of our nation.
Liberty Appears on the First American Coins
In her first appearance on the “Flowing Hair” Liberty Dollar, her
profile is strong and youthful, her head lifted proudly as would befit
the goddesses on which she was based. But Lady Liberty would change in
many ways throughout the years. The very next iteration of Liberty,
created by portraitist Gilbert Stuart, was based on the Philadelphia
socialite Anne Willing Bingham. As exemplified in this 1798 Draped Bust Dollar Large Heraldic Eagle Reverse XF40 PCGS
coin, Stuart’s “Draped Bust” design has been described as “a buxom
Roman matron,” and was depicted with long, elegant tresses tied with a
ribbon and bow and ample cleavage visible above a fold of drapery.
France — the arbiter of fashion at the time — was in the Directoire
Period, which was inspired by gowns of Greek and Roman style with a
modern emphasis on sheer fabrics, revealing cuts, and daring décolleté.
Though the Liberty as a Goddess theme would continue for another 200
years, this version of Lady Liberty was clearly a design of her times.
Liberty Returns to Her Roots
The “Classic Head” coins, like the 1836 $2.50 Classic Head Quarter Eagle MS64 PCGS CAC,
return to Lady Liberty’s Greek and Roman roots. Based on John Reich’s
design for large and half cents, Engraver William Kneass’ adaptation
depicted a tousle-haired Liberty facing left, her thick and curly locks
confined by a headband. Her profile is strong and has been compared to a
youthful male athlete of ancient Greece rather than a female goddess.
This powerful interpretation of the Lady is interesting in light of the
fact “Classic Head” coins were developed to strengthen the economy and
get gold back in circulation.
Liberty as Indian Princess
In
the mid-19th century, Lady Liberty’s appearance began to change from
classic goddess to a classic American symbol: the Indian Princess. On
the $3 gold coin, first minted in 1854, Liberty wears a stylized
feathered headdress such as the one featured on the 1878 $3 Indian Princess MS64.
Interestingly, Chief Engraver James Longacre’s Indian Princess design
was actually modeled after a Greco-Roman Venus Accroupie statue then on
display in a Philadelphia museum, rather than being based on Native
Americans. Longacre used this statue’s distinctive sharp-nosed profile
first on his Liberty Head gold dollar of 1849 and employed it again on
the $3 coin and his Indian Head cent of 1859. On the $3 coin Liberty is
wearing a feathered headdress of equal-sized plumes with a band bearing
“Liberty” in raised letters.
Variations on a Theme
In
addition to the headdress, Lady Liberty’s headwear went through a
number of other design changes as well. On several coins, including the 1896 Morgan Silver Dollar MS67 NGC CAC,
she is wearing a Phrygian Cap, named after the Phrygia region of the
Roman Empire, and symbolizing freedom or the pursuit of liberty. This
same style of cap was referred to as the bonnet rouge in
Revolutionary France, and was worn to express solidarity against the
aristocrats. The cap appears atop a staff on the seal of the U.S.
Department of the Navy to this day. In an interesting departure from the
symbolic Goddess theme, the Morgan Silver Dollar is also notable for
the representation of Lady Liberty as an American woman, based on the
profile of Anna Willis Williams, a Philadelphia teacher. Williams posed
reluctantly, but Morgan was impressed with her profile, stating that it
was the most perfect he had seen in England or America. Certainly, her
fuller face and softer features were emblematic of ideal beauty at the
time. Liberty has also appeared with a crown, coronet, or tiara. On the Peace Dollars,
the crown appears as rays of light, inspired by the wife of designer
Anthony de Francisci, who recalled her first glimpse of the Statue of
Liberty when emigrating to the United States from Italy while she posed
for him.
Liberty on the Move
The
Seated Liberty design was created when President Martin van Buren
wanted a silver dollar to circulate in an effort address the instability
of paper money brought on by massive western land speculation. Mint
Director Robert Maskell Patterson was an admirer of the seated Britannia
on British copper coinage, and believed that a seated female figure
would be just as “emblematic of liberty” as the heads and busts adorning
the nation’s coinage. He engaged the great portrait painter Thomas
Sully to make sketches for his seated Liberty. On coins such as the 1872 Seated Liberty Dollar PR64 PCGS CAC,
Sully portrays Liberty seated on a rock in Grecian robes, left arm
supporting a Union shield with a scroll inscribed “Liberty.” Her right
arm was raised and held a pole topped with a small Phrygian or Liberty
Cap. She has also appeared both standing and striding, in both classical
dress and proportions, and as in the case with the Sesquicentennial
Quarter Eagle, with a decidedly slimmer figure and robe modeled after
the fashions of the Roaring 20’s.
A Sad End for the Lady
Though
her appearance has certainly changed over the years, all was well for
Lady Liberty on our coins until 1890 when a bill passed Congress
foreshadowing the beginning of the end. The Mint had often redesigned
coins, but almost always included the figure of Liberty. The 1890 act
allowed the director of the Mint, with concurrence from the secretary of
the treasury, to redesign any coin as long as it then remained
unchanged for at least 25 years. The director had great discretion
regarding the emblem of Liberty. Over the next half of a century, Lady
Liberty would disappear from our coins, replaced by heads of government.
Liberty has not appeared on a circulating coin for 52 years.
Will Lady Liberty Return?
Fortunately,
that may soon change. Recently, The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
unanimously approved a resolution recommending the issuance of an
American Liberty Commemorative Coinage Program including dimes,
quarters, and half dollars that depict images of Lady Liberty. The
program would provide an opportunity for the Mint’s artists and
sculptors to use their talents to produce a wide variety of modern
images of Liberty, and as the resolution says, Liberty “remains a
quintessentially iconic American image.”
