I heard somewhere that this coin caused somewhat of a stir when it was issued because it is supposedly a "Death Totem" that is portrayed. Can someone give me any information about it? Thanks! Chris
It's true. The last head on the totem is a raven, which symbolizes death in certain Indian cultures. I guess the mint didn't consult anyone on the design . So once the word got out about it being a "death totem", the term death dollar took off.
True! Top animal on the pole is a Raven, an Indian symbol for Death. Mintage was 3,039,630 in .800 silver.
