A Pondering Oops! In my previous Pondering article about the Liberty Cap on coins, I failed to include two very historically important coins. I should have mentioned the Confederate States of America's One Cent piece and Half Dollar. In 1861 an official of the Confederate States of America contacted the jewelry firm of Bailey & Co in Philadelphia and requested a die cutter who could make a C.S.A. cent. Robert Lovett, Jr. was selected. To make the cent he used the head of Miss Liberty wearing a Liberty Cap, which he had used on an earlier one cent sized token from 1860, and employed a wreath of distinctive Southern agricultural products, including a bale of cotton at the bottom. Lovett struck twelve coins with his dies, employing the then current Union alloy of copper and nickel. A Coin Facts (PCGS) photo: http://www.coinfacts.com/confederate_coins/1861_confederate_cent.htm In late April of 1861, four Confederate Half Dollars were struck on a hand press by certain employees of the New Orleans Mint. Because of the high relief of the coin die, a test striking was made to see if coins would properly release from the Confederate die. The die was made by a printing plate engraver (A.H.M. Peterson) in New Orleans who was unfamiliar with techniques required to engrave coining dies. These coins were struck using a U.S. (Union) obverse die (Seated Liberty) and the Confederate reverse die made by Peterson. These coins are known as originals, and the location of all four coins is known today. Being that the original Union die was used to strike the obverse it features a Seated Liberty holding a pole in her left hand bearing a Liberty Cap. The reverse was struck using the Confederate die which features a shield within a wreath (flowers on left and leaves on right). Above the shield is a Liberty Cap supported by a pole. Only coin (I believe) with a Liberty Cap on both sides. Here's a photo courtesy of Wikimedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1861_Confederate_Half.jpg There are other historical uses of the Liberty Cap in the United States. One such historical significence is the U.S. Army Seal (Wikipedia photo): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WarOfficeSeal1.gif Another is the Seal of the U.S. Senate (Wikipedia photo): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Senate_Seal.svg And Uses by Some Individual States (Wiki photos): Arkansas - State Seal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_Arkansas.svg Idaho - State Flag: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Idaho.svg Iowa - State Seal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iowa-StateSeal.svg New Jersey - State Seal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_New_Jersey.svg New Jersey - State Flag: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_New_Jersey.svg New York - State Seal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_New_York.svg New York - State Flag: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_New_York.svg North Carolina - State Seal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_North_Carolina.svg West Virginia - State Seal (Liberty Cap and two crossed rifles in front of boulder): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_West_Virginia.svg West Virginia - State Flag (Liberty Cap and two crossed rifles in front of boulder): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_West_Virginia.svg I, also, didn't include a photo of a U.S. Walking Liberty Half Dollar (1916 - 1947) with Lady Liberty wearing a Liberty Cap. The 1947 was the last U.S. circulating coin featuring Liberty wearing the Liberty Cap (Coin Page photo): http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-1359.html However the Silver Eagle Bullion coins bear the same Walking Liberty wearing the Liberty Cap (Coin Page photo): http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-8961.html Other coins featuring the Liberty CAP are the Paraguyan 1944 and 1951 Fifty Centimos (World Coin Gallery photo): http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img3/140-24&desc=Paraguaykm2450Centimos(1944,1951)&query=Paraguaykm24 Argentina's circulation and bullion coinage struck 1882-1896 featured Lady Liberty (some facing left, some facing right) wearing a Liberty Cap as evidenced by these coins (World Coin Gallery photos): http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_cs.php?image=nmc5/7-28&desc=Argentinakm2850Centavos(1881-1883)&src=FelipeSantiagoCalonge&query=Argentinacentavos http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_cs.php?image=nmc5/7-31&desc=Argentinakm311Argentino(1881-1896)&src=FelipeSantiagoCalonge&query=Argentinaargentino This gold bullion coin photo is indicative of all the bullion coins (courtesy of Gold Coins Gain): NOTE: This coin, also, bears the Liberty Cap on a pole on its opposite side. http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/argentina-gold-coins.html Argentina boasts having many Seals bearing the Liberty Cap (Wikipedia photos): Coat of Arms - Version 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_arms_of_Argentina.svg Coat of Arms - Version 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_arms_of_Argentina_(Alternative).svg Seal of the General Assembly - 1813: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sello_asamblea_soberana_-_Argentina_1813.png Seal of a French Group - circa 1793: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fileroto-escudo-dibujado.JPG The following Provincial Shields feature a Liberty Cap (Wikipedia photos): Buenos Aries: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Buenos_Aires_Province.png Catramarca: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Escudo_de_Catamarca.PNG Corrientes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:COA_Corrientes-argentina.svg Jujuy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Escudo_COA_Jujuy_province_argentina.PNG San Juan - Argentina: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arsjuan2.PNG Tucuman: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Escudo_COA_Tucuman_province_argentina.svg There are two Presidential Flags of Argentina (Wikipedia photos): Land: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fileresidential_Standard_of_Argentina.svg Water: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Standard_of_the_President_of_Argentina.svg The following Wikipedia Flag photos are of Provinces in Argentina: Jujuy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Jujuy_province_in_Argentina.svg Mendoza: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Mendoza_Province,_Argentina.svg San Juan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_San_Juan.svg The Republic of Brazil produced the following coins in the years indicated with Lady Liberty wearing a Liberty Cap: 500 Reis (silver) 1889: Photos courtesy of World Coin Gallery. http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img12/27-494&desc=Brazilkm494500Reis(1889)&query=Brazilkm494 Argentina struck gold 10,000 and 20,000 Reis coins thusly: 10,000 Reis 1889-1999 20,000 Reis `889-1900 A capped Liberty facing left adorns the obverses of both denominations. Here's a photo of the 20,000 Reis (Worldwide Numismatics photo): http://www.worldwide-numismatics.com/Brazil%201900%2020000R.jpg In 1892 and 1893 El Salvador produced Centavo coins bearing a Liberty Cap on their Obverse (Jinghuashei Coins photo): http://jinghuashei.com/html/product/0910102243918325.html During the years 1826-1842 Peru produced many denominations of coinage bearing a Standing Liberty holding a pole in her right hand with a Liberty Cap on a pole (Numismatography photo) Click thumbnail for an enlarfenent: http://numismotography.com/pages/P.shtml Honduras coinage in denominations of 25 Centavos through Peso featured a Capped Standing Liberty as evidenced by the following 2 photos (Coin Facts Wiki photo): http://www.coinfactswiki.com/wiki/Honduras_1884_50_centavos http://www.coinfactswiki.com/wiki/Honduras_1882_peso Venezuela produced coin denominations from 1843 to 1863 bearing a Capped Liberty Head. Here's an example (fauno.com photo): NOTE: Scroll to photo. http://www.fauno.com/tienda/product.php?productid=17054&cat=312&page=1 The Liberty Cap was even placed on some paper currency, 1793 French Assignat Notes and on some American city municipal bonds plus some American Corporation bonds. NOTE: ASSIGNATS WERE PAPER MONEY ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTORE FINANCIAL SOLVENCY. THE MONARCHY HAD LEFT A BANKRUPT STATE WITH NO CREDIT AND MASSIVE DEBT. THIS SITUATION WAS MADE ALL THE WORSE DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER WHICH RESULTED IN CROP FAILURES IN A PRIMARILY AGRARIAN ECONOMY THAT TAXED ONLY THE WORKING CLASSES WITH LITTLE INCOME. Three of the Assignats in the following photo bear a Liberty Cap on them read text below photo (Rare Coin Collector photo). Click photo for enlargement: http://www.rarecoincollector.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=41&products_id=6363 Los Angeles (City of Angels) Bonds: City of Los Angeles, California, 1899, $1,000. 3 3/4%, Waterworks bond. Green border and underprint. Arms of California in top middle, with capped Liberty on top and small eagle in underprint. ABNCo. Specimen w/coupons, XF, Rare and early Los Angeles Water bond with only 3 or 4 found in the archive. A expcom.com photo: http://www.expcom.com/abnpartv/PartV_02.html Even some of the political cartoons during the "panic years" of 1837, 1838 and 1839 strategically placed the Liberty Cap in their diatribes. The following photo was found on Common Place's website (www. common-place.org) with permission of the American Antiquarian Society, Worchester, Massachuetts. The first character is Uncle Sam wearing moccasins and a Liberty Cap: http://www.common-place.org/vol-10/no-03/lepler/images/07-big.jpg Hope you enjoyed my Oops... Clinker
And then, there are these two coins/tokens, with a strikingly similar Liberty Cap design to the Confederate coin:
