Model for the Morgan dollar.....was she blind?

Cam40

She doesnt have a pupil or iris or anything.

Maybe she was rolling her eyes in the back of her head?

Was it a conscience decision to not show Libertys eye ball with any detail?

I cant recall any other US coin that doesnt show some detail of the eye ball.

Any info on this subject, perhaps an unsubstantiated rumor or urban ledgend?

numonebuyer

The model was Miss Anna Willess Williams. She was not blind. She became a kindegarten school teacher and philosophical writer.

Numonebuyer

Reference to Comprehensive Catalog and Enclyclopedia of Morgan & Peace Dollars, Fourth Edition by Leroy C. Van Allen & A. George Mallis

Deadhorse

Cam40,

There is always the alligator eye VAM. Talk about a cataract!! Now that model looks blind.

Cam40

I was being faciecious (sp). I know she wasnt really blind. Its just what the designer made her look like.

Why did George Morgan not give Liberty any detail to her eye.

Just wondering.

Bear

Didnt you ever read Little Orphan Annie?

dollardude

Okay, I just have to chime in on this one. This is my coin. I don't know why the eyes have no detail. However, there were mixed reviews back in 1878 when the coin first appeared. The Sunday Republic, a Philadelphia newspaper, had this positive review:

"The head of Liberty is chase and beautiful, and in an artistic sense, is considered the best executed head that ever appeared upon the United States coin. It is so well distributed as to be susceptible of easy work under the die, and altogether will certainly reflect credit upon both the designer and the government. Like its predecessor of [1804], the [Liberty portrait] was taken from life and is a fair type of the beauty of one of our Philadelphia ladies, the model having been a young lady who was a teacher in one of the public schools in the 15th section, and who naturally objects to having her name published."

In the 1890s, she became known as the "Goddess of Liberty", and got married.

It is interesting to note that Ms. Anna W. Williams was fired from her job as a teacher after it was made known that she was the model.

I just looked at one of my Peace dollars, and she doesn't have any eye detail either. However, my Ike dollars do have eye detail.

MrLee

I can't find the reference now but I believe several of the engravers were influenced by Greek Art.

Cam40

I think you have it Mr Lee. The depiction of her on the coin, and perhaps in the eyes of her peers at that time,
was to elevate her to somewhat godess state. Maybe it all went to her head she felt she was not getting
all the respect as the `Goddess Liberty` on the popular silver dollar deserved?
Who knows why she was let-go once the school board found out about she being the model.

I wonder if you could trace her liniage and find out if any of her offspring are coin collectors today.

Gemini

She was a kindergarten teacher...she left her pupils in class.

millennium

<< <i>She was a kindergarten teacher...she left her pupils in class >>




Oh brother!.......LOL!

BAJJERFAN

Why did George Morgan not give Liberty any detail to her eye.

Maybe HE was blind?

MadMonk

The first thing that comes to mind is that it might have been detrimental to the minting process. Another thought is from my Art training. In sculpture, it's quite a feat to add pupil, and iris detail to a sculpture, and have it look good. Of course I'm speculating, but that's my edumacated guess.

nwcs

First, it's very hard to add for sure. Second is that you don't have much room to work with on this scale so any pupil added on the galvano would be reduced to being too small when the master hub was created. It'd also be likely lost during a weak or adequate strike. So it's easier to leave it alone.