Was just looking in the Red Book and noticed a picture of the 3 cent pieces. What is the history and nature behind the 6 pointed star? Anything to do with Judaism?
The folklore is that George Washington preferred the 6 pointed star for the flag, but Betsy Ross favored the 5 point star and thus it was so. 6 pointed stars appear on early coinage and the 5 star showed up on Kennedy half, Ike and Anthony Dollar, and probably others I haven't paid attention. Jim
All US coins designed before 1892 have six pointed stars. All US coins designed after 1892 with the exception of the Saint-Gaudens Eagle and Double Eagle have five pointed stars. The Barber quarter and half that began in 1892 have six pointed stars on the obv and five pointed stars on the rev. The six pointed star is nowhere close to being unique to Judaism. It is the star used most often in European heraldry, and can actually be found on several coins from Muslim countries. The five pointed star or mullet in Heraldry is meant to represent the third son. The current Federal government is the third government for the states (King of England, Articles of Confederation, and Constitution.) so the mullet is a good choice for the US.
I would be very surprised if there was a religious intention to the design. When you look at other items designed in the 19th century, you find many, many, very, very interesting kinds of stars and star-shapes. I like the kind on Chicago's flag. We're just so very used to seeing the regular 5-point star that anything else just doesn't feel very starry.
