Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-09-19
THE FACE on PENNY
Is THAT OF A WOMAN

Have you ever noticed the features
OF the head on the American penny?
An Indians head, you say. You are
wrong-at least if the claim of friends
of the mar who made the copper die
is true. The face is a woman's.
But, you say. there are feathers on
the head. Is that not the headSear of
an Indian?
All. but have you observed the fea-
lures. the contour of the face: Reach
into our pocket and ook at the copper
coin. Are those the features of an In
diam
When the engraNer made the die that
is used in turning out the popular l.
cent coin he used the face of his
daughter. and that is why a woman's
face adorns the penny
Observe h long. thin. delicate nose.
the low forehead. the essentially fe,ni-
nine lips. Then regard the picture of
Mrs. Sarah Longacre Kecn-mark the
resemblance. Mrs. Keen, when a girl.
is said to la furnished the model
for the head of the cent.
Mrs. Keen died in Philadelphia in
January. 1906. For more than thirty.
years she had been corresponding Sec
rotary of the Moments Foreign Mis-
sionary society. He entire life was de-
voted to religious work. She was d.
sweet and sanity woman.
itow. YOU ask. was her face chosen
20 represent Liberty-impersonated as
an Indian face-on the coin?
The story was first told by a mis-
sionary who knew Mrs. Keen. During
his life time she rarely spoke of the
Interesting fact-only after her death
was the story revealed.
Her father. James Barton Longacre,
VAS an cngraver. He worked i'm the
the cent was made. Sarah. his first
child. was a slight and beautiful girl
when he made the stamp of the pennies
we now use.
Sarah was his pride. She was. for
her age. tail. supple and beautiful. He.
face was sweet and refined. What was
more natural than thai when he en-
graved the die he should transfer to IL
the classic features of the child he so
loved?
Mrs. Keen was born in PHILADELPHIA.
February 20. 1925. AT the age of ff-
teen she was converted in the Union
Methodist Episcopal church, at a re-
vlvai meeting at which were 200 con-
versions.
She was married at the age of nine
teen. on May s. 1S47. to John II. Keen.
Her married life was ideal. The cou-
pie lived happily for forty-fo o years.
When Mr.. Keen died.
The oma whose face is said to
grace the cent was a thoroughly re-
lisious woman she was imbued with
the Christian spirit.
Abou the time of her marriage the
mother of Mrs. Keen became deeply
Interested in the work of DIR. Walter and
Mrs. Phoebe Palmer. who preached the
doctrine of living upon higher planes in
.ne daily life. In the winter of 1S4S
Mrs. keen's mother began "a series of
tuesday meetings. There pious wo-
men met, prayed and told one another
how they overcame their temptations
and met their struggles.
The meetings continued for thirty
eight years. And they did not end at
Mrs. t.ongacre's death. Mrs. Keen's
father continued holding them and
when he passed away Mrs. Keen, with
her brother. the Rev. Andrew Long.
acre. took his place.
Mrs. Keen at this time lived near
Chestnut Hill. Philadelphia. There had
been visitors to her home, and she was
rearing quite a family OF children. De-
spite her family duties. on SUNDAYS she
gathered the children OF neighboring
farmers to her home. and there unfold
ed to them the bible in her simple.
motherly way.
Each Sunday evening she invited the
parents the children to her home,
n led a PRAYER meeting. And every
meeting in Haines' church.
Foreign missionary work always APP
pealed to Mrs. Keen. and In 1870 abe
became corresponding secretary OF the
branch of the Woman's Foreign Mis-
sionary society in her city. She re-
signed only "a few months before her
death.
Even while she lay Ill in bed. scarce
~ able to move. Mrs. Keen dictated let
ters to missionaries. Some she advised.
others he enthused. encouraged. beg.
cling them not to despair or Civ I'm
their endeavors. Her letters alway.
possessed the peculiar personal appeal:
they were inspiring and devotional.
After her death a missionary, Laura
NJ. White. wrote:
Many a time in China c~ontrasted
the crisp. formal. business communica-
tions sent by heads Of other missions
70 their missionaries. with the loving.
tender letters Of counsel and help that
always came from my own dear mis-
stonary mother.
How i%ndulgent she was to us! New
or was request made that she do no
Try to grant: and II that, were impos.
sioie. the kindness and sympathy that
came instead more than made up for
the disappointment.