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Message:: [QUOTE="Ardatirion, post: 285366, member: 9204"]This is from a paragraph of a paper that I have yet to send in to the ANA Journal. (Give me time! Lol). Although the paragraph is regarding an 1836 pattern gold dollar, it talks at length of the liberty cap.  "The significance of this piece is tremendous. The cap & rays motif was popular in Mexico at the time, but the symbol of the Liberty cap is much older and can be traced back to Ancient Rome, when it was known as the pileus. In Rome, when a slave was freed, he was given a pileus to signify his freedom. This same cap was displayed on US coins, first on the Libertas Americana medal, then later on the half and large cents, where its symbolism caused quite a stir. It can also be seen on the head of Liberty on all circulating gold and silver coins. Ironically, this symbol of freedom from slavery is illustrated on a coin proposed by Southern congressman at the height of the American slave system. The palm frond, seen on the reverse, is often used as a symbol of victory and ascension. With the rise of American industry, the symbolism of the palm frond becomes particularly notable – victory over imported industrial goods and the ascension of the new industrial way of life. Though this interpretation may seem somewhat far-fetched, one must bear in mind that this is one of the few representations of a palm branch on American coinage. "[/QUOTE]