The Concordia eagle. [volume] (Vidalia, La.) 1873-1890, 1884-12-13
Devices on American Coins,

The act of April 2, 1892, which estab-
lished mint in Philadelphia, tnen the
seat OF Government, provided that upon
one side OF the gold and silver coins OF
the United States there should be an
impression emblematic of liberty with
an inscription of the word "liberty"
and the year of the coinage, and upon
the reverse the figure or representation
OF an eagle, with the inscription Omitted
States of America"
The act of January, 1887, made SINH
lar provisions, and when the silver bill
providing for the restoration of the
dollar of our daddies' was enacted,
1t was provided that the same inscrip-
ton should be placed on the standard
dollar. But few people outside the
minis understand the care and delicacy
required TO produce weff-finished coins;
but the work of coming or perfecting
piece is as nothing compared with the
designing and engraving OF die. The
extremely limited space presented by
the surface of coin for display OF
artistic establishment is of itself very
unfavorable condition imposed upon
the inventive faculty of the artist,
and when the more rigid
limitation upon the relief is
considered, it is obvious that the artist
has to work with letters on his hands to
an extent unknown in any other depart
ment of art. 1t has often been the case
that artists of well-known regulations,
but having no experience in the engrav-
ing of coins, have had designs of great
artistic merit rejected simply for tho
reason that such designs were not
adapted TO the purpose for which they
we're intended.
The device on our coins emblematic
of Liberty is no doubt devised from a
similar device on the coins of the Roman
republic, anterior to Augustus, and has
much of classic authority in its favor.
Its adoption does not seem to have been
determined by any specific act or in
structons, and in fact the journals of
the Senate and other proceedings OF
of Congress show that the head of tho
President was first intended as the de-
vice for one side of the coins.
The first coins struck were cents, in
1898, on which the emblem was female
head, with hair flying wildly behind.
In 1875 the cap of liberty was intro
duced, supported on a wand projecting
behind the head In 1896 or 1897 the
cap was discarded.
/ The first silver coins were struck in
| 1874. The head of Liberty with flowing
hair and without the cap formed tho
! diverse. This style was maintained,
with slight notifications. until the gear
| 1908, when more pleasing head Of Lib
ertv, with hair dressed and cap, was
| adopted The device was taken from
/ life, and was considered n model in
| good taste of the fashion of the time.
| The inscription of the word Liberty was
| at the time transferred from the margin
Of the coin TO the band of the esp.
The first gold coins struck in l795
were ornamented with head of Liberty
| and cap head-dress, corresponding
| with the fashionable head-dress of that
| period. This continued until 1907,
| when the head-dress ON the gold coins
was made TO conform TO that on tho
silver. Upon the change Of standard in
| 1884 the liberty cap of the goddess was
removed from the head, and the hair
confined by band inscribed with thu
word liberty. The next change took
| place near the end of the year 1888, tho
hair being looped up behind and ems
| twined with braids, couple of stray
curls hanging loosely upon the neck,
and the front of the head embellished
with tiara inscribed liberty" Since
then the changes in the artistic devices
! and designs upon coins have been few
and unimportant. The reverse of all our
larger coins has ALWAYS presented to q
certain extent the heraldic elements
forming the arms of the Union, and no
| doubt in accordance with the almost
universal usage of the independent
sovereignties, of presenting device on
the reverse Of their coinage bearing
heraldic illusions more or less elabo-
rate, TO the arms Of the government or
sovereign authority. In the various
! changes made from time to time, every
effort has no doubt been made to pre-
sent as beautiful coins as the limited
| space would permit, and also to secure
/ designs which would present no diff
/ Guilty in mechanical execution. The
| head of Liberty on the standard
| dollar, designed by a young English en-
! graver, is chaste and beautiful, and il
! considered by artists the best executed
! head that has ever appeared upon United
| States coins. 1t is so well distributed
as to the susceptible of easy work UNI
der the die, and, like its predecessor Of
| 1908, was taken from iife.-E r. Kaye,
IN Chicago Inter- Ocean.
| -