Many Women Long Honored On Money

Peter Rexford
Wed, 12 Aug 2015 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

It's not yet a pronounced debate, but I predict the question of what woman's portrait will grace a future $10 bill soon will be. Originally a female was going to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. He was a slave owner and popular sentiment was leaning toward having Underground Railroad icon Harriet Tubman replace him on the bill. But that's been put on hold.

In play now is the $10 bill. Eleanor Roosevelt leads unofficial polls to replace Alexander Hamilton. It is far too early to know what may happen when the bill is redesigned for release in 2020, but at least people are beginning to think and talk about alternatives.

Curiously, many have ignored the many women that have been featured on metallic coinage. Not just recently, but for thousands of years, women have taken center stage on gold, silver and copper coins. Some are iconic and familiar. All are notable.
Updated: Thu Aug 13, 2015

It's not yet a pronounced debate, but I predict the question of what woman's portrait will grace a future $10 bill soon will be. Originally a female was going to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. He was a slave owner and popular sentiment was leaning toward having Underground Railroad icon Harriet Tubman replace him on the bill. But that's been put on hold.

In play now is the $10 bill. Eleanor Roosevelt leads unofficial polls to replace Alexander Hamilton. It is far too early to know what may happen when the bill is redesigned for release in 2020, but at least people are beginning to think and talk about alternatives.

Curiously, many have ignored the many women that have been featured on metallic coinage. Not just recently, but for thousands of years, women have taken center stage on gold, silver and copper coins. Some are iconic and familiar. All are notable.

This month, a new book, "100 Greatest Women On Coins," hit the bookshelves. Showcasing coins from around the world and over the centuries, the variety is impressive.

Featured are allegorical and mythological images of Nike, Education, Victory, Venus de Milo, Medusa, Faith, Hope, Charity and, of course, Lady Liberty, as seen on so many U.S. coins. Included, too, are historical women the likes of Helen Keller, Susan B. Anthony, Abigail Adams, Margaret Thatcher, Maria Theresa of Austria, Virginia Dare, and dozens of others.

Hollywood isn't overlooked with coins spotlighting Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn. With those are many royals such as Queen Isabella, Princess Diana, Queen Boudica, Empress Elisabeth, Evita Peron, Queen Marie Antoinette, Empress Catherine of Russia, Queen Victoria and, of course, Queen Elizabeth II, whose portrait is still included on every coin of every country connected to the British Empire.

The list goes on and on but, safe to say, the oversized coffee-table book is a comprehensive compendium of notable women throughout history and their commemoration on coins over the centuries. The book includes full-color photos of many of the coins as well as reproductions of famous images and paintings of the female honorees.

Each woman is given a page or pages of their own telling their stories. Some of those accounts are enticing. Others, surprising. For instance, the spike/crowned image on the 1920s and '30s U.S. Peace Dollar is a real woman named Teresa De Francisci — wife of the sculptor who created the design. And, next time you see an Indian Head penny, take a closer look. That is actually Lady Liberty wearing a feather headdress!

For those who want to not only look but also own, each entry in "100 Greatest Women On Coins" includes a guide as to the "collecting difficulty." Happily, most familiar women such as Mary Todd Lincoln, Dolly Madison, Queen Elizabeth, Cleopatra, Golda Meir and many others are considered "easy" and not overly expensive.

On the flip side, some, such as a gold piece featuring Queen Bernice, Lady Una or Lady Liberty (on a 1792 copper U.S. pattern penny) can range in value from $7,500 to over $2.5 million. For the most part, however, the majority of coins cost between $5 and $100.

The coins are listed in order of importance and popularity. The process began when author Ron Guth identified more than 600 different women featured on coins. He soon pared that list down to just 100. Those names were then submitted to ladies in the Women in Numismatics group, who were asked to rank them.

So, who topped the list? The top five in descending order are: Susan B. Anthony, Cleopatra, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller and, in the No. 1 spot ... Mary, Mother of Jesus. She may have had an edge because she was listed as, "Mary," "Madonna," "Madonna & Child," and "Our Lady of ..."

The hardcover, 128-page "100 Greatest Women On Coins" volume will cost $29.95. For more information or to order log onto: www.WhitmanBooks.com.

Editor's Note: A JPEG visual of the cover and inside page spread of the book 100 Greatest Women On Coins has been sent with this column.