Indian Head Cent Model?

There is a program on TV called America Unearthed that I enjoy. The host was tying some old coin designs into his story line. He held up an Indian head cent and stated the portrait was not native American, but was a portrait of Lady Liberty. I had never heard that before. And now thinking about it, the portrait certainly does not appear to be a native American...... Is the IHC portrait one of Lady Liberty? If so, what was the reason to model her in a native American headdress?

 

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Mabie the chief engraver, was native American? just a joke. good question.

 

The Indian Head penny actually does not neither have a native American on it nor Lady Liberty. The designer of the Indian head cent is James B. Longacre and he designed the coin after his daughter Sarah Longacre.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Head_cent the design was chosen partly from the 5$ gold, and its ease to strike with minimal problems.

 

Actually the bust is based on an ancient Greek statue entitle "crouching Venus" and Longacre used the same bust with modifications for pretty much all of his bust designs mainly just changing the hair.

 

So the part about Longacre using his daughter is just an urban legend?

 

I read the Wiki link offered by @Autoturf and it appears there is some foundation to both stories... According to the Wiki story, Longacre stated the face was based on the statue mentioned by @Conder101. It is fact that Longacre enjoyed sketching his daughters portrait. However at the time the IHC was minted, his daughter was thirty years old.... What I glean from that is that he did base the portrait on the Crouching Venus statue, however likely included some of the features from his daughters bust simply because he simply liked her features.

 

Somewhat off topic to the thread, but I've actually spoken to the host of that show on a few occasions. I tapped his knowledge of rocks more than once in the past 20 years. Scott Wolter is from Minnesota and is big into Lake Superior Agates, as am I.

 

I do love the program. He is quite the engaging fellow.

 

Agreed that he is an engaging fellow. He gets excited about rocks for crying out loud....who does that?? Oh wait, I do too.

 

Which episode mentioned the IHC?

 

He was searching for Custer's lost treasure. Couldn't say which episode that may have been.

 

Should be season three, episode five.

 

I watched the first few minutes of that this morning before I had to go out. It looked interesting. Thanks.