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Posted 03/28/2021 10:25 am
I return once more to the 1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial commemorative half dollar, this time to take a closer look at the hat being worn by the standing figure of Liberty on the coin's reverse.
It is a common artistic approach to depict Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap as a symbol of freedom and liberty. The figure on the Lynchburg coin might be wearing such a cap (though I haven't seen it described as such), but it does not have the characteristic form/shape that is typically seen. To my eyes, the hat looks more like the brimless cloche hats that were popular with women in the US in the late-1920s to mid-1930s. I wonder if Charles Keck, the designer of the coin, desired to modernize his depiction of Liberty on the coin via a contemporary hat? Keck using contemporary references for his design would not have been out of the question.
Virginia Senator Carter Glass is seen on the coin's obverse. He initially opposed his portrait being used for the coin, but was unable to find any laws on the books that would preclude its use by the Lynchburg Sesqui-Centennial Association (the coin's sponsor), so he ultimately gave in to their wishes.
Glass was a well-respected and powerful Senator from Virginia who served in the Senate from 1919 until his death in May 1946; his final years were hindered by poor health, however, and after June of 1942, he was effectively absent from Senate sessions though he continued to be re-elected. Prior to his time in the Senate, Glass served in the House of Representatives from 1909 to 1918 when he resigned to take the position of US Secretary of the Treasury under President Woodrow Wilson. Glass served as the honorary chairman of the Sesqui-Centennial Association.
1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
You can find other of my posts about the Lynchburg half dollar here:
- 1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial
- 1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial - Coins Depicting Places Thread
- 1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial - Mythology on Coins Thread
To read other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, check out: Read More: Commems Collection.
It is a common artistic approach to depict Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap as a symbol of freedom and liberty. The figure on the Lynchburg coin might be wearing such a cap (though I haven't seen it described as such), but it does not have the characteristic form/shape that is typically seen. To my eyes, the hat looks more like the brimless cloche hats that were popular with women in the US in the late-1920s to mid-1930s. I wonder if Charles Keck, the designer of the coin, desired to modernize his depiction of Liberty on the coin via a contemporary hat? Keck using contemporary references for his design would not have been out of the question.
Virginia Senator Carter Glass is seen on the coin's obverse. He initially opposed his portrait being used for the coin, but was unable to find any laws on the books that would preclude its use by the Lynchburg Sesqui-Centennial Association (the coin's sponsor), so he ultimately gave in to their wishes.
Glass was a well-respected and powerful Senator from Virginia who served in the Senate from 1919 until his death in May 1946; his final years were hindered by poor health, however, and after June of 1942, he was effectively absent from Senate sessions though he continued to be re-elected. Prior to his time in the Senate, Glass served in the House of Representatives from 1909 to 1918 when he resigned to take the position of US Secretary of the Treasury under President Woodrow Wilson. Glass served as the honorary chairman of the Sesqui-Centennial Association.
1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
You can find other of my posts about the Lynchburg half dollar here:
- 1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial
- 1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial - Coins Depicting Places Thread
- 1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial - Mythology on Coins Thread
To read other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, check out: Read More: Commems Collection.
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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