I've previously posted about the women who have designed one or more classic-era US commemorative coins:
Women Designers - Part I and
Women Designers - Part II.
I've also posted about female historical figures on classic-era US commemorative coins:
Quick Bits #72 - Actual Women On Classic US Commemorative Coins.
This time out, I'm taking a look at female allegorical figures on classic-era US commemorative coins.
First up, the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition Half Dollar, the silver coin features
Columbia - an allegorical female figure that represents the United States - its identity, its ideals and its freedoms.
1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition Half Dollar
Columbia is also found on the Gold Quarter Eagle of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition is another example. She is depicted riding a hippocampus (the mythological sea horse of the Greeks) while holding a caduceus - the deign is symbolic of medicine's triumph over yellow fever which was a major factor in enabling the US to complete the Panama Canal.
1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition Quarter Eagle
Moving ahead to 1923, we have the Enunciation of the Monroe Doctrine Centennial Half Dollar. Its reverse design features a pair of allegorical female figures representing North and South America within the Western Hemisphere.
1923 Enunciation of the Monroe Doctrine Centennial Half Dollar
Liberty is featured on the 1926 American Independence Sesquicentennial Gold Quarter Eagle. She is depicted standing on a globe looking to her right. She is holding the Torch of Freedom in her outstretched right hand and a scroll of the Declaration of Independence in her left.
1926 American Independence Sesquicentennial Gold Quarter Eagle
The next classic-era US commemorative coin to feature an allegorical female is the 1934-38 Texas Independence Centennial Half Dollar. The coin's reverse depicts the Winged Goddess of
Victory among multiple iconic images of Texas. Her left arm rests on the Alamo, the battle site that, even in defeat, helped inspire the Texans/Texians as they fought for their independence ("Remember the Alamo!"); further to her left (viewer's right) is a cameo portrait of Stephen F. Austin who is generally referred to as the "Father of Texas" for his efforts to colonize Texas beginning in 1825. To her right is a cameo portrait of Sam Houston, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Texas Army, the first President of the Texas Republic after it declared independence and a US Senator from Texas after it became a State in 1845.
1934 Texas Independence Centennial Half Dollar
Issued simultaneously with the Texas Independence Centennial coins, the 1935-39 Arkansas Statehood Centennial Half Dollar series presents a profile of a young
Miss Liberty, wearing a Phrygian cap, in a conjoined portrait with a Native American chief wearing a full headdress.
1935 Arkansas Statehood Centennial Half Dollar
Issued to support the 1935-36 California-Pacific International Exposition, the "San Diego" Half Dollar features an adaptation of the California State Seal on its obverse. A main element of the Seal that is the central figure in the design -
Minerva - is symbolic of California becoming a US state without first going through the preliminary stage of being a territory. According to Roman mythology,
Minerva was born as a fully-grown adult vs. an infant and thus skipped the awkward "growing up" stage. As such, she is used to represent California's skipping of the prelims and moving straight to the main event - Statehood!
1935 California-Pacific International Exposition ("San Diego") Half Dollar
One of, if not the, most controversial of the classic-era US commemorative coins, the 1936 Cincinnati Music Center 50th Anniversary Half Dollar is up next. (The coin's controversy centers around the fact that 1886 was not a milestone date Cincinnati's musical history, was far from a national "Center" of music and Stephen Foster (obverse portrait) is not generally musically associated with Cincinnati.)
On the coin's reverse is the
Goddess of Music. It appears likely the image is a "generic" Greek goddess depicted holding/playing an ancient musical instrument - the lyre - to connect her with music as Greek mythology does not describe a specific
Goddess of Music. 1936 Cincinnati Music Center 50th Anniversary Half Dollar
The 1936 Columbia, SC Sesquicentennial Half Dollar features a female figure of
Justice on its obverse.
Lady Justice holds a balance scale in her upraised left hand while holding a sword, pointed down, in her right hand; she is not blindfolded. The pans of the scale are level, indicating fair and equitable treatment for all under the law. The sword is symbolic of the enforceability of the law; it is a double-sided sword which is meant to indicate that it will defend and protect either party in a dispute. It is also shown positioned below the scales, which is meant to indicate that the law is enforced after the evidence is weighed and not before.
1936 Columbia, SC Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
The reverse of the 1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial Half Dollar features a standing
Lady Liberty, looking to her right, with welcoming, outstretched arms; in the background is seen the old Lynchburg Courthouse.
1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
I have a nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something. Can anyone help out?
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including multiple stories about each of the coins featured here, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 04/29/2025 6:33 pm
