Allegorical figures are common subjects of past and present United States coinage. The most famous of them, Liberty, is featured on coins of nearly every denomination, with multiple hairstyles, costumes and accessories. To many designers and lovers of American coinage, Liberty has been and always will be a clear representation of the freedom, valor and justice the United States embodies.
Starting in 1851, as Congress approved new denominations of American coinage, it also gave the Mint director more leeway in choosing coin designs. As a result of this discretion, U.S. coinage began to veer away from the allegorical representations of Liberty for the first time since her debut in 1793.
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THE REVERSE of the 1893 Queen Isabella quarter dollar, left, features a kneeling woman, thought to represent woman's industry, holding a distaff, or a rod for unspun thread, and a spindle. The reverse of the 1923 Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar, center, represents the North American and South American continents with two female figures. The North American figure holds a branch in her left hand and offers a twig to the South American figure with her right hand. The goddess of music, kneeling and playing what appears to be a lyre, appears on the reverse of the 1936 Cincinnati Music Center half dollar, right. Images courtesy of HeritageAuctions.com.
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The 1851 to 1873 silver 3-cent coins feature a six-pointed star on the obverse. The 1864 to 1873 2-cent coins feature a shield design on the obverse. The Flying Eagle cent, struck as a pattern in 1856 and issued for circulation in 1857 and 1858, features an eagle on the obverse. It was replaced by the Indian Head cent in 1859, again placing a Liberty portrait on the obverse of the denomination. The copper-nickel 5-cent coin, first issued in 1866, featured a shield on the obverse until it was replaced by the Liberty Head 5-cent coin in 1883.
In the 20th century, Liberty disappeared from circulating U.S. coinage completely, as she was replaced one coin at a time with portraits of actual Americans. Liberty still continued to appear on commemorative coins and beginning in the 1980s, on bullion coins.
However, numerous coins feature allegorical figures other than Liberty, particularly U.S. commemorative coins. Most of these figures are females dressed in ways to represent themes such as agriculture, commerce, music, victory, labor and history, to name a few. An overriding theme among these coins is how aesthetically appealing they are to the eyes of collectors and numismatists alike.
The first example of U.S. coinage featuring an allegorical figure other than Liberty is the 1893 Isabella quarter dollar. The coin was issued to commemorate the Board of Lady Managers at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The obverse features a portrait of Queen Isabella and the reverse features a kneeling woman thought to represent woman's industry, according to Commemorative Coins of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia by Q. David Bowers. The woman is holding a distaff, or a rod for unspun thread, and a spindle.
Another example is the 1923 Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar, often considered one of the most interesting of its era. Its purpose was to commemorate the centennial of the Monroe Doctrine, the document devised by President James Monroe and his secretary of state, John Quincy Adams in 1823, ultimately severing ties between the United States and Europe for a time.
The reverse design of the Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar features the North American and South American continents represented by two female figures. The North American figure holds a branch in her left hand and offers a twig to the South American figure with her right hand. The South American figure holds a cornucopia with her right hand. According to Silver and Gold Commemorative Coins by Anthony Swiatek and Walter Breen, faint lines appear in the coin's fields, meant to represent the unending flow of imports and exports between the two continents uninterrupted by foreign powers.
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THE REVERSE of the 1934 to 1938 Texas Centennial half dollar, left, features a winged goddess of victory, draped in flowing robes. She is kneeling, with an olive branch in her right hand and her left hand resting on a representation of the Alamo, the famous Texan shrine. Right, an image of the mythical figure Neptune, the god of water, riding backwards on a whale, appears on the 1935 Hudson half dollar. A mermaid blowing a conch shell appears in the background. Images courtesy of HeritageAuctions.com.
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Another allegorical figure other than Liberty appears on the 1934 to 1938 Texas Centennial half dollars. The design, devised by Texas sculptor Pompeo Coppini, was one of the most ornate of its time, according to Bowers. Its reverse features the winged goddess of victory, draped in flowing robes. She is kneeling, with an olive branch in her right hand and her left hand resting on a representation of the Alamo, the famous Texan battle shrine.
Other commemorative coins also feature mythical figures such as on the 1935 Hudson half dollar, issued to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Hudson, N.Y. The coin's reverse features an image of the mythical figure Neptune, the god of water, riding backwards on a whale. A mermaid blowing a conch shell appears in the background.
Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, skill, contemplation, spinning, weaving, agriculture and horticulture, is featured on two U.S. coins.
The first coin to feature Minerva is the 1915-S Panama-Pacific International Exposition gold $50 coin. Its obverse features a portrait of the goddess wearing an elaborate helmet. The date 1907 appears in Roman numerals below her image.
The reverse features an owl, an animal that was sacred to Minerva and also served as a symbol of wisdom. According to Vermeule, the gold coin's design was "worthy of what American numismatic art could achieve when creativity and Mint technique worked in unison."
The second coin to depict the goddess, the 1935 to 1936 San Diego half dollar, also called the California-Pacific Exposition half dollar, commemorates the exposition held in San Diego. The obverse features the a seated image of Minerva wearing a helmet, holding a staff in her right hand, with her left hand resting on a shield bearing the inscription EUREKA. She is surrounded by elements of the California state seal. According to Numismatic Art in America by Cornelius Vermeule, this depiction of Minerva is one of the most powerful uses of a facing figure in American numismatic art.
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ONE OF TWO U.S. coins to feature the goddess Minerva is the 1915-S Panama-Pacific International Exposition gold $50 coin, left. The obverse portrait shows the goddess wearing an elaborate helmet. The obverse of the 1935 to 1936 San Diego half dollar, right, features a seated image of the goddess wearing a helmet and holding a staff in her right hand, with her left hand resting on a shield. Images courtesy of HeritageAuctions.com.
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The 1936 Cincinnati Music Center half dollar was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Cincinnati as a musical center in America. (In reality, nothing had occurred 50 years earlier, relative to the coin's themes, to warrant commemoration, and the "association" requesting the coins was unaffiliated with any music organization in the city.) The obverse features a portrait of the early American songwriter Stephen Foster. The design on the reverse features the goddess of music, kneeling and playing what appears to be a lyre. According to Bowers' book, the Cincinnati half dollar is often considered to be among the more attractive commemorative coins, as the goddess was described as "a graceful, charming creature."
The goddess of justice is featured on the 1936 Columbia Sesquicentennial half dollar. The coin celebrated the 150th anniversary of the designation of Columbia as the capital of South Carolina. Its obverse depicts the goddess of justice standing with South Carolina's 1786 Capitol to her right (the viewer's left) and the 1936 Capitol to her left. The reverse features a palmetto tree, South Carolina's state emblem. "The half dollar was attractive in its simplicity," Bowers said in his book. "Few numismatists – who certainly are inclined to voice opinions if they don't like things – felt moved to be critical."
Nike, the goddess of victory, is featured on the more recent 1988-W Olympic $5 gold half eagle coin, issued in honor of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. The obverse, designed by Elizabeth Jones, features Nike wearing a wreath of olive leaves on her head. (According to Bowers' book, Jones intended the design to represent a mixture of Nike and Liberty, and the book describes it as a "lovely portrait.")
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THE OBVERSE of the 1936 Columbia Sesquicentennial half dollar, left, depicts the goddess of justice standing with South Carolina's 1786 Capitol building to her right and the 1936 Capitol to her left. Nike, the goddess of victory, is featured on the more recent 1988-W Olympic $5 gold half eagle coin, right, issued in honor of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. Images courtesy of HeritageAuctions.com.
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Allegorical figures other than Liberty can be found on other examples of U.S. numismatic collectibles, like medals and paper money. Such pieces include the 1919 Peace of Versailles medal, commissioned by the American Numismatic Society. The medal, designed by Chester Beach, features three figures Vermeule describes as "pseudo-classical" meant to represent war, justice and peace. Another medal, designed in 1920 by Cyrus E. Dallin, pays homage to Marshal Foch, commander in chief of the allied armies during World War I. The reverse features Liberty and a robed, female figure representing Massachusetts.
Early U.S. paper money also bears images of allegorical figures other than Liberty. The Series 1863 $100 note features two allegorical male figures representing farming and mechanics, and the back of the Series 1902 $100 national bank note also features two allegorical male figures representing agriculture or plenty and labor or industry, just to name a few.
While Liberty is still the most recognized allegorical figure to ever grace American money, examples of coins, medals and paper money bearing other allegorical figures can comprise a beautiful and interesting collection.
