Direction Liberty Faces. Any Significance?

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Author	Replies: 8 / Views: 1,548
OldSkoolMadSkilz Pillar of the Community United States 2077 Posts	Posted 05/22/2014 4:17 pm Is there any significance to the direction that Liberty faces. Started out to the right on early coins, then switched to the left, then to the right and then left again. Any reason for this? Report this Post to the Staff

Cruisinfusion Pillar of the Community United States 1531 Posts	Posted 05/22/2014 4:20 pm I assume it's just how the designer wanted it Report this Post to the Staff
TypeCoin971793 Pillar of the Community United States 6370 Posts	Posted 05/22/2014 5:16 pm Then you ask, "Why did they change the design in the first place?" and "Why did they decide on that particular design?" When you answer those two questions, then you'll get your answer. Report this Post to the Staff
Classic Coins Pillar of the Community United States 940 Posts	Posted 07/21/2017 8:15 pm Maybe it depends on the way the model for Miss Liberty was facing. In this case, Teresa Cafarelli, wife of Peace dollar designer Anthony de Francisci: Report this Post to the Staff
kanga Pillar of the Community United States 5825 Posts	Posted 07/22/2017 08:43 am As far as I know the direction that Liberty faces on US coins is, like others have said, at the whim of the designer. BUT Stuck in the deep dark recesses of my mind I seem to recall that on the reverses of US coins the talon that holds the arrows vs. the talon that holds the olive branches varies according to the peace/war status of the US. But on English coins the direction that the monarch faces DOES switch as the monarch changes. EXCEPTION: King Edward VIII wanted to face the same way as his father (King George V). Apparently he thought that was his better side. Of course KEVIII didn't last a year. Report this Post to the Staff
Conder101 Bedrock of the Community United States 17884 Posts	Posted 07/22/2017 09:42 am Quote: Of course KEVIII didn't last a year. That will teach him to break tradition. Quote: Stuck in the deep dark recesses of my mind I seem to recall that on the reverses of US coins the talon that holds the arrows vs. the talon that holds the olive branches varies according to the peace/war status of the US. Actually it doesn't. In Heraldry the right side is considered the more favored side, Now the olive branch represents peace and the arrows represent our willingness to defend ourselves if needed. Correctly place the olive branch should be in the eagles right talon and the arrows in the left and the eagle faces its right side to indicate a preference for peace over war. Now if you read some of those articles that claim to tell the meaning behind the Great seal they usually have something in there about how the eagle faces the olive branch during times of peace but during times of war it faces in the other direction to face the arrows. That is hogwash In the entire history of the great seal the eagle has ALWAYS faced the eagle right. HOWEVER! On the early heraldic eagle designs of the Half Dime through dollar Scott erred and engraved the dies with the arrows in the eagles right talon and the olive branch in the left indicating a preference for war over peace (even though we were at peace at the time.) I have never understood why he did that. I could understand making the mistake once on the first die engraved, but why all of them? I believe the device punch didn't have the arrows or olive branch as part of the punch and they were added later. Why do it wrong on so many dies and denominations for so many years? People had a srtonger understanding of heraldry back then, so I can't believe he didn't know or that someone didn't inform him. Report this Post to the Staff
Classic Coins Pillar of the Community United States 940 Posts	Posted 07/22/2017 10:19 am Conder101, Thanks for the interesting perspective on the heraldic eagle designs. Report this Post to the Staff
Dlangs56 Valued Member United States 275 Posts	Posted 07/22/2017 11:30 am That Peace dollar model photo is great! Report this Post to the Staff
Classic Coins Pillar of the Community United States 940 Posts	Posted 07/22/2017 2:29 pm Quote: That Peace dollar model photo is great! I scanned the Teresa Cafarelli photo from a coin publication about 15 years ago. It puts a face to the liberty figure, so to speak. She was a beauty! It's a real shame the Peace dollar designer flattened his wife's nose for the coin. I wonder if the flattened nose was traditional for some reason. Report this Post to the Staff
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