The Ocala evening star., 1914-09-12
THE FIGURE on
THE FLORIDA DOLLAR

Editor Star: | have observed in
your issue of the 10th inst. a further
editorial comment on the Florida
Dollar particularly referring to the
headless figure on one side of The
coin
We take great pleasure in making
this matter clear to you and enclose
copy in explanation of the particu-
lar form of figure adopted in this
case.
This figure represents a Mike or
a winged figure. In this particular
instance the figure used is that Of
the Nike of Samothrace. Originally
this statue was chiseled out of Gre
clan marble by one of the most fa-
mous scuIptors of ancient Greece.
The Nike of Samothrace was
erected by order of Demetrius Pol
iorcetes in commemoration OF a nav
al victory which he won over an
Egyptian general, Ptolomy, off the
Island of Cypress in 305 or 3O6 B. C.
In all treaties on mythology, both
Roman and Greek, describing the
work of the ancient sculptors the
history of many Mixes are given. In
a few instances these figures were
made without wings, sometimes they
were but small statues which were
held in the arms of large ones rep
resenting the gods and goddesses of
the ancient world; however at a
later period these Mixes were in
creased in size until they compared
favorab1y with all other statues.
The particular Nike or winged
figure of victory used upon the Flor
ida dollar was made with head and
arms as any other statue. 1t is not
known for a certainty just where it
was located, but it was probably
from Athens or on the Island of Cy-
press. 1T is today located in the
Louvre in Paris. This particular fig
ure is a representation of Victory
standing R1pon the prov of an an
cient Grecian war ship. She is arm
less and headIess and it was from
this particular statue in Paris that
the figure on the Florida dollar was
taken. The facts as to where and
when this statue was found and re-
moved to the French capital and
placed in the great art gallery are
not available.
The statue was made over 220O
years ago and at some period in the
history of the world during that time
it was knocked down from its pedes-
ltal and the head and arms were
lbroken off. OF all the Mikes in ex-
istence this is the finest work of art
Art critics declare that more life and
energy are shown in the lines of thi.
| figure than in the work of any
known sculptor. Tt is the figure of {
woman in heavy drapery standing OF
the prov of ship and facing heav!
wind blowing across the Mediter
lranean. Tt hasitbeen copied by sculp
tors of all nations for the past TWEEN
Ity-two centuries and the critics de
clare that it has never been surpass
ed in its particular style of beaut.
and technique.
4 On the Florida dollar this Nike, o
: winged figure of Victory, is repre-
sented as standing on the prov of tn
ship passing through the Panam
: canal 1t typifies the victory of Am
erican energy over the great obsta
cles encountered in the constructio
of this great waterway. This figur
represents the highest point attaine
tby ancient Grecian scu1ptors.
Florida State Commission.
The Star was very we'll aware thS
the figure on the Florida dollar rel
resented some noted work of th
: ancients, and if everybody could III
: derstand and see it in that light til
d symbol would be appropriate. In i
: criticism, the Star spoke from tt
y standpoint of the man on the stree
q who is seldom we'll posted on sue
matters, but who nevertheless is II
man who has to pay the bills. TT
It victory the commission alludes
?, was very obscure incident in Il
is general run of history, and the st
II tue, as shown on the coin, is entire
le too small for anybody to realize Il
l. lbeauty of the Sc1lIDture The nrO