4 Dollars, Pattern, United States, 1879
date: label: date made
content: 1879
name: label: mint
content: U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
label: designer
content: Morgan, George T.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: One (1) 4 dollar coin, pattern
label: Description (Brief)
content: United States, 1879
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty with coiled hair.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Text: 6 / G. / .3 / S / .7 / C / 7 / GRAMS / 1879 / LIBERTY
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Image: Star.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / E PLURIBUS UNUM / DEO EST GLORIA / FOUR DOL. / ONE STELLA / 400 CENTS
label: Description
content: Apparently Lady Liberty’s name is Stella, and she likes to wear her hair two different ways. At least, that is according to two prominent coin engravers of the U.S. Mint during the late 19th century Philadelphia, Charles E. Barber and George T. Morgan.
label: Description
content: This four dollar gold coin was minted in 1879 as part of a commission from the U.S. Mint to create a coin with a value comparable to European markets. The coin got its name “Stella,” the Latin word for “Star,” due to the star design on its reverse. Charles E. Barber, chief engraver of the U.S. Mint at the time, designed one version of the Stella coin depicting Lady Liberty with flowing hair on the obverse and a single star on the reverse, which is referred to today as “The Flowing Hair Type.” George T. Morgan, another U.S. Mint employee under Barber designed his own version of Stella, which is the one displayed here. Lady Liberty’s hair is worn coiled, a more reserved depiction of the American symbol of Liberty. Morgan’s version is referred to as “The Coiled Hair Type.”
label: Description
content: However, the idea of an American international currency was never implemented. Congress rejected the concept, and therefore the coins were only minted for two years. The Stella remains the only four dollar U.S. coin ever minted. Newspapers of the era printed rumors that some Congressmen fashioned the Stellas into necklaces to give to their mistresses and Madams. Some surviving coins do show evidence of having been made into jewelry. Regardless of what happened to the Stellas after minting ceased, many numismatists consider the gold Stellas one of the most famous and popular American denominations. They are also quite rare, as there were only roughly 425 Flowing Hair Type Stellas and 20 Coiled Hair Types ever minted.
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: city
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: province
content: United States: Pennsylvania
label: country
content: United States
label: political area
content: United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: Coins, Currency and Medals
label: See more items in
content: Josiah K. Lilly Jr. Collection
label: Exhibition
content: Value of Money
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Glossary of Coins and Currency Terms
label: Related Web Publication
content: http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/glossary.cfm
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Estate of Josiah K. Lilly
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: NU.68.159.0149
label: accession number
content: 283645
label: catalog number
content: 68.159.0149
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coin
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: gold (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1.5 mm x 21.5 mm; 1/16 in x 27/32 in