Criticism of the Seated Liberty design

I am reading the second edition of Numismatic Art in America by Cornelius Vermeule and he quotes a letter to the mint director published in 1876. The letter's author refers to the Seated Liberty design as such:

"The young women sitting on nothing in particular, wearing nothing to speak of, looking over her shoulder at nothing imaginable, and bearing in her left hand something that looks like a broomstick with a woolen nightcap on it--what is she doing there? what is the meaning of her? She is Liberty, we are told, and there is a label to that effect across a shield at her right, her need of which is not in any way manifest. But she might as well be anything else as Liberty; and at the first glance she looks much more like a spinster in her smock, with a distaff in her hand. Such a figure has no proper place upon a coin."

"Our coins of forty or fifity years ago were much better in every respect, and looked much more like money, the reason being that they bore a head of Liberty which was bold, clear, and well defined in comparison with the weak thing that the Mint had given us for the last thirty years or so."

Do you like the seated design? If so, why? If not, which coin design to you feel captures Liberty best on U.S. coinage?

 

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Some contemporarily must have concurred, as they remanufactured these with clever carvings into Potty Dollars.

 

I don't know why but the Seated Liberty design is one of my favorites. I guess to me, it just had a place in time and I have never thought to scrutinize it to that degree.

 

I've read that the seated Liberty design was based on Brittania - that she was America's version or response to that female figure. The critic must not have been aware of the liberty cap tradition, as he refers to it as a "woolen nightcap." He must also not have been aware of the tradition of the female figure of Liberty herself - and on the Seated Liberty design she's far less risqué than usually depicted - in many cases she was depicted with at least one exposed breast. In any case, the flimsy gown she's in probably was salacious to mid 19th century public tastes (private is another matter).

I like the design. Though I can only judge it from a historical perspective, so I might like it simply because I see it through the filter of history.

 

My Favorite Miss Liberty

 

I never did get what she was holding, but I really did always like the coin design

 

Numismatic Art in America is a very good buck, chock-full of contemporary accounts such as that one. Be sure to take that letter with a grain of salt; the earlier bust coinage was criticised too!

 

Maybe someday people will wonder at why few of us were excited by SBA dollars.

 

I never much cared for the Seated Liberty design. There's no real definition between her and the rock, making her look like Jabba the Hutt with a skinny head. Like Catbert, I've always loved the Draped Bust coins.
Guy~

 

Interesting thread. Thanks, Catbert !

I personally enjoy the Seated Liberty design. I'm less impressed by the 1876 criticism :

But isn't that true of any depiction of Liberty ? Isn't that true of any allegorical or symbolic representation ? It might as well be anything else other than what the artist intended.

Putting the word LIBERTY in big capital letters right up front wasn't enough for this guy.

I'm told "democracy thrives on criticism". Fair enough.

But sometimes, so-called "dissent" is just knee-jerk whining. That's why I "dissent the dissidents" !

 

I like the Seated design. Its simple and to the point. It is not one of the greatest though.
The Walking Liberty half is my favorite coin. And the depiction of Liberty on it and the Silver Eagles is the best, in my opinion. Other great ones, in my opinion, include the Mercury dime, Bust coinage and St. Gaudens $20 gold pieces.

 

catbert if you dont like the seated liberty design send them all over to me no need to feel bad

 

It was never my favorite , probably due to the weak strikes on the majority , but a well struck MS coin is very beautiful , sorta like comparing an average struck Standing Liberty Quarter , to a FH and Full Shield example . IT's like night and day .
rzage

 

It's nice bringing this up. Don't really see/think about this design much (for myself).

I like it if for no other reason for variety's sake. There was also a thread earlier about a "cap on a stick". Now I see why. The only example of a seated liberty I have is in pretty worn shape - didn't realize what it was exactly!

 

hmm people are criticizing my favorite design

 

I guess that is one of the great things about our country. Everyone has an opinion and can shout it out it they want. Whoever wrote that artical probably doesn't even collect coins. Says she is sitting on nothing? Looks like something to me. What is she holding? Why not complain about her big nose? And who is to say it is supposed to be Liberty? Why not just someone holding a stick? Actually looks like her hat on the end of the stick.
And as to sitting, why not? Why do we have to have people standing on coins anyway? Why not a Liberty coin with Liberty laying down?
I'd rather worry more about our Mint placing Elvis or Hulk Hogan on our coins.

 

you havent read the wrestling coin act after the stae parks for the next 50 years we will have a wrestler come out every month on coins and the music act says one dollar every week for those guys i am going to get a guitar i want to be on a coin

 

I always thought that thing on the stick was an American flag. Why doesn't she have the stupid hat on her head if it is so important? Now I don't like the design anymore because it makes much more sense to have a flag on the pole rather than a cap on a stick!!!

 

I thinks it's kind of humorus that the author is criticizing the design and talks about how coins of fourty and fifty years before looked so much better. It reminds me of a lot of us criticizing the modern coinage we have compared with pre-Presidential coinage.

Just think how bad future coins will look to us!
I would love to see the "broomstick and woolen nightcap" come back.