I was going through early editions of the
American Journal of Numismatics recently and came across the following in a notice about the new "Isabella" quarter dollar (October 1893).
In its description of the coin's reverse design, the author stated, "The figure on the reverse is mournfully suggestive of the old anti-slavery token, "Am I not a woman and a sister."
The referenced token was struck for the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1838; the token is included in the Hard Times Token category, and carries the HT-81 number. The token depicts an African-American woman in shackles, on her knees, pleading her case.
1838 Am I Not a Woman Token
(Image Credit: PCGS CoinFacts. Fair use, education.)I have long been aware of the token, but have never associated it with the Isabelle Quarter's reverse design. To me, the two are very different in intent and execution. A kneeling female is not enough of a "similarity" for me to believe one is derived from the other.
IMO, the
Journal piece was a case of an unnamed author who did not favor the new quarter's design attempting to disparage it by making a thinly-veiled attempt to connect an allegorical female figure representing "Industry" with a female slave woman and thus imply that the 1890s woman was still a slave. I believe that if the author had a better understanding of the quarter's design, he/she would not have drawn such a conclusion. The token depicts an oppressed woman in despair, while the coin presents a free, industrious woman who has new opportunities on the horizon. I realize that women's rights still had a long way to go in 1893, but I don't put them on par with the struggles of those who endured slavery decades before.
Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.
1893 Isabella Quarter
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including others about the
Isabella Quarter, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 12/14/2023 5:10 pm
