This is about United States of America money bearing a true Native American on one of its sides, The very first U.S.A. coin to bear a Native American is the 1854 Gold Dollar. The 1854 and 1855 issues featured a small Indian Princess head. Those appearing on the gold Dollarsof 1856 or later featured a large Indian Princess head. So you can see the difference in size of the two heads, here's photos of an 1854 and an 1880 Gold Dollar courtesy of Coin Auctions Help: http://coinauctionshelp.com/Indian_Head_Princess_$1_Gold.html The next coins bearing a Native American on them are those Gold Eagles minted 1907 - 1933 (photo courtesy of Coin Page): : http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-4520.html You have to pick up either a $2 1/2 (quarter-eagle) gold piece or a $5 (Half Eagle) gold coin to see a Native American featured on their obverses. Both denominations were first struck in 1908 and last minted in 1929. Photos courtesy of Coin Page: Gold Quarter-eagle: http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-6689.html Gold Half Eagle: http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-1078.html Our attention to the U.S.A. coins bearing a Native American takes us to the Five Cents (Nickels) minted 1916 through 1938 with the bison (buffalo) on the reverse (photo courtesy of Coin Page). As you know 2 varieties were minted in 1916 (bison on a mound/bison on a plain): Bison on Mound (Type 1): http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-499.html Bison on Plain (Type 2): Obverse: http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-3949.html Reverse: http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-3950.html Some of you may be thinking, "Whoa! What about the Indian Head Cents minted from 1859 through 1909?" Indian Head Cent is a misnomer. Longacre designed the coin featuring the Allegorical Lady Liberty wearing an Indian headdress. There are more U.S.A. coins bearing Native Americans on them. Datewise we look up the coins of 1921 and discover the 1921 Missouri Centennial silver Half Dollar. Photo courtesy of Coin Page: http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-3624.html This time the Native American adorns the obverse of our next U.S.A. commemorative, The Oregon Trail Commemorative struck from 1926 through 1939. Photo courtesy of Coin Page: http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-1161.html I'm going to stretch your numismatic integrity a mite with this next coin. It is the 1928 Hawaii Sesqicentennial commemorative silver Half Dollar. Hawaii was not a state yet in 1926, however it was a possession. You may decide not to view the photo of the coin - you may decide to look at it, its up to you. On the reverse is a very authentically dressed Hawaii Native Chief. Photo courtesy of Coin Page: http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-2123.html The minting of our next Native American bearing coin spanned the years 1934 and 1938 and commemorated the life of Daniel Boone. Photo courtesy of Coin Page: http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-8227.html Suddenly it's time for the Sacagawea Dollar of 2000. Photo courtesy of Coin Page: http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-3068.html Here's a modern Commemorative silver proof $1 (2001) that commemorates the American Buffalo (Bison) with an enlargement of the obverse and reverse of Fraser's Indian Head obverse, Bison reverse (American Buffalo Commemorative). Photo courtesy of U.S. Rare Currency: http://www.usrarecurrency.com/2001AmericanProofBuffaloSilverDollar.htm You know about all the Statehood Quarters (you probably have some from one coin to all 200. If you own the 2008 Hawaii Statehood Quarter you own a very well illustrated rendition of Hawaii's first ruler Kamehahameha If you never saw one, here's a photo courtesy of Coin Page: http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-7519.html Well we took a tour of the U.S.A. coin currency bearing a Native American on one of its sides, but we've yet to view a photo of the only U.S.A. regular issue paper currency with a Native American on it. Before I reveal the photo of the only U.S.A. regular issue paper Currency to feature a Native American on it, there's something you should know: Late in 1888 the Treasury Department decided to create a new obverse for the 1899 $5 Silver Certificate. Their desire for something new blossomed into wanting to feature a Native American Chief on the bill's obverse. Since there was no conflict (or not very much conflict) with the tribes inhabiting the Pacific Northwest, representatives and artists were dispatched to the area. After weeks of searching, they found a very friendly congenial American Indian Chief named One Papa. The artists quickly prepared drawings and sent them to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Here's where things went awry. The final preparations were placed on the Bureau Director's desk for his approval. The Director took one look at the image and felt something was wrong. All the pictures in newspapers of Indian Chiefs he had ever seen were of men wearing a headdress. This one wasn't wearing a headdress. An in-house artist was commissioned to add a headdress to the image. Not a big deal, right? It was a great mistake! The artist did not add a headdress (worn in peaceful times), but created an image of Chief One Papa wearing a war bonnet. And, if that unsult wasn't enough, the war bonnet wasn't of the Chief's Tribe - it was not even of any Northwest Pacific tribe. In spite of protests from all the tribes throughout the Pacific Northwest the government ignored their objections and left the image as rendered. When you view the $5 Silver Certificate you will see an actual Native American Chief wearing some other tribe's war bonnet. Go figure. Photo courtesy of Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/khosrozabihi/3781381763/ Thought you'd like to know... Clinker
Very interesting post. You do a great job of sharing information in these writeups. Please keep it up.
Great write up as usual Clinker :hail: and I had not realised that the Indian head cent was actualy Lady Liberty in disguise LOL so thanks for that :bow:
To Art: Thanks for reading and the positive comment... To De Orc: Thanks for reading, your positive comment and the nomination... Clinker
Sorry Mr. Clinker, according to historical records and correspondence from the designer of the Indian Head cent, James B. Longacre, this is not exactly true. Longacre himself stated that the design came from a statue of Venus Crouching. But then legend arose that the profile was that of Longacre's daughter, and there is no known correspondence or records where Longacre dispelled this idea. We'll probably never know for sure about the attribution of the portrait but the consensus is that it is a composite of the two. See A Guide Book of Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents (2006) by Richard Snow, pp. 25-26.
To The Penny Lady: Hi and thanks for your addendum. It seems there are four or five theories as to who or what Longacre used as his model. Most agree he wanted to show a likeness of a female American Indian. If it was his daughter in a headdress, then it is not a rendering of a real Native-American, if it is of Venus, it is not a real Indian either. What I based my opinion on that the image is an Alagorical representation of Liberty wearing a feathered headdress is the following excerpt from a letter by James Longacre which resides in the Library Company of Philadelphia (from box 3, folder 6). "From the copper shores of Lake Superior, to the silver mountains of Potosi from the Ojibwa to the Aramanian, the feathered tiara is as characteristic of the primitive races of our hemisphere, as the turban is of the Asiatic. Nor is there anything in its decorative character, repulsive to the association of Liberty; more beautiful in itself, to u. It is more appropriate than the Phrygian cap, the emblem rather of the emancipated slave, than of the independent freeman, of those who are able to say "we were never in bondage to any man". I regard then this emblem of America as a proper and well defined portion of our national inheritance; and having now the opportunity of consecrating it as a memorial of Liberty, ‘our Liberty’, American Liberty; why not use it? One more graceful can scarcely be devised. We have only to determine that it shall be appropriate, and all the world outside of us cannot wrest it from us." Clinker
The one dollar gold pieces, and the three dollar gold are the same portrait as that on the "indian head cent" just with different treatment of the hair and different headresses. Longacre used the same basic portrait for all of his coins. Saint-Gaudens eagleas also not an actual portrait of a Native American, but once again an allegorical portrait with a stylized Native American headress. As to the 1899 $5 silver certificate, the indian's name was not One Papa it was Ta-to-ka-in-yna-ka or Running Antelope. He was a Sioux indian of the Oncpapa tribe. The headress was a war bonnet of the Pawnee, a rival tribe of the Oncpapa. The original portrait of Running Antelope did have him wearing a feathered headdress of the Oncpapa tribe but the powers that be in Washington decided it wasn't impressive enough and hence the change to the wrong headdress. The was the image the engraving was made from.
I'm curious how the name One Papa came to be. The photo you posted shows 'Onepapa 2" on the lower left. Likely marked on the glass or tin plate from the era it was made.
krispy: I believe the number 2 is the artist's second rendering of the Chief with in the war bonnet. As to the Chief's name, here's it is along with his true name and his anglicized name: [The Five Dollar Silver Certificate of 1899 shows the head portrait of "Ta-to-ka-in-yan-ka ", also known as Chief Onepapa (Running Antelope), a member of the Hunkpapa Sioux (a part of the Dakota Tribe - which means 'allies'). Of all the Pacific Northwest tribes, the Sioux were the most resolute in resisting white men's incursions upon their land.] Clinker
Isn't it more likely that it says "Oncpapa" which is another band of the Sioux Nation, and not "Onepapa"? Here's an example of the 1899 Oncpapa Sioux Chief $5 Silver certificate. http://www.allensinc.com/coins/currency/largetype/05s1899.htm
A Sioux nation band named "Huncpapa" (or "Hunkpapa") was the group General Custer should have avoided.
I believe the actual spelling is "Oncpapa" but is pronounced "Hunkpapa" so the pronunciation version has been used and printed interchangeably with the true name "Oncpapa." Here's another version of Clinker's photo: [FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]"Outstanding and very rare, original, ca 1880 Cabinet Card Photograph of famed Oncpapa (pronounced Hunkpapa) Sioux Chief Ta-to-ka-in-yan-ka, also known as Running Antelope by D.F. (David Francis) Barry. This fantastic Cabinet Photo was fully titled by Barry as simply “Running Antelope”. The photograph depicts the middle aged Oncpapa Chief wearing his hair bound in otter fur and with a large, highly decorative scarf slide at his neck. . . . [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]Known for his bravery in war, and skills in oratory and diplomacy, Running Antelope was one of four Hunkpapa principal chiefs who acted as close advisors to Sitting Bull during the Plains Indian Wars. " http://www.american-tribes.com/Lakota/BIO/RunningAntelope.htm [/FONT]
