Foreign influences on the design of US coinage?

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cinque1543
cinque1543 Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

This is neither here nor there, just a piece of trivia. I stumbled across the coin on the left, which is a French 3 décimes piece from 1792. On the right is a Mercury dime. It seems like the designers of the dime might have gained some inspiration from earlier French designers. That's probably not uncommon, but still kind of interesting when it pops up.

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  • johnny9434
    johnny9434 Posts: 34,068 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 18, 2026 5:27AM
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    Ill go along with that, influenced is influenced...

  • cinque1543
    cinque1543 Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
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    @jmlanzaf said:
    They both got the design from the Roman Empire.

    Virtually all classic American coinage was heavily influenced (borrowed? stolen?) from Greco-Roman designs.

    Or honored?

    I would suggest that the Buffalo Nickel was the first "American" design on circulating coinage.

    Hadn't thought about it, but sounds plausible.

  • Mr_Spud
    Mr_Spud Posts: 7,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    What a coincidence, I just now posted this same image in the coin poetry thread

    Mr_Spud

  • Mr_Spud
    Mr_Spud Posts: 7,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    And this one too

    Mr_Spud

  • BillJones
    BillJones Posts: 35,935 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I have always thought that Barber was influenced by the young Queen Victoria image that appeared on British coins.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • cinque1543
    cinque1543 Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
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    @Mr_Spud said:
    What a coincidence, I just now posted this same image in the coin poetry thread

    Very cool. Thanks for posting this. FYI that France also did a beautiful art deco head of Mercury on one of its coins from pre-WW2.

  • cinque1543
    cinque1543 Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
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    @JBK said:
    "La Semeuse" (the Sower) design first struck in 1897:

    Such an iconic design.

  • jacrispies
    jacrispies Posts: 1,638 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Here are some more. Some are other countries that copy US designs.

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  • Mr_Spud
    Mr_Spud Posts: 7,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Here’s great write up on Libertas, Roman Goddess who became lady liberty on US coins https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/15390/

    Mr_Spud

  • oldabeintx
    oldabeintx Posts: 3,214 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @jmlanzaf said:
    They both got the design from the Roman Empire.

    Virtually all classic American coinage was heavily influenced (borrowed? stolen?) from Greco-Roman designs.

    I would suggest that the Buffalo Nickel was the first "American" design on circulating coinage.

    Perhaps include the IHC and $10 Indian with the Buff, although adding a headdress to Liberty isn’t on the same artistic level IMO.

    Compare the Brittania (which first appeared on a Roman coin) reverse on the British penny to our seated liberty coins, especially the Trade Dollar. Ceres head on the 5 franc to the Morgan dollar. For fun, I include “inspiring” foreign coins in my expanded type set. Any excuse to buy coins.

  • Creg
    Creg Posts: 1,736 ✭✭✭✭✭
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  • Survivor50
    Survivor50 Posts: 220 ✭✭✭
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    @cinque1543 said:

    @JBK said:
    "La Semeuse" (the Sower) design first struck in 1897:

    Such an iconic design.

    So the first ASE was actually a 90th anniversary tribute to a French 1 Franc coin? 😂

  • tahbb143
    tahbb143 Posts: 394 ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 18, 2026 3:33PM
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    @Survivor50 said:

    @cinque1543 said:

    @JBK said:
    "La Semeuse" (the Sower) design first struck in 1897:

    Such an iconic design.

    So the first ASE was actually a 90th anniversary tribute to a French 1 Franc coin? 😂

    ...was a 2112th anniversary tribute to a roman silver denarius

  • Survivor50
    Survivor50 Posts: 220 ✭✭✭
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    @tahbb143 said:

    @Survivor50 said:

    @cinque1543 said:

    @JBK said:
    "La Semeuse" (the Sower) design first struck in 1897:

    Such an iconic design.

    So the first ASE was actually a 90th anniversary tribute to a French 1 Franc coin? 😂

    ...was a 2112th anniversary tribute to a roman silver denarius

    Ahh, I see

  • CoinPhysicist
    CoinPhysicist Posts: 638 ✭✭✭✭
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    Wasn’t the Liberty Cap cent a French-influenced design. This we had to change it in 1796 when war broke out.

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  • oldabeintx
    oldabeintx Posts: 3,214 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    The Phrygian cap has been a symbol of liberty since antiquity.

  • yosclimber
    yosclimber Posts: 5,322 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 18, 2026 11:34PM
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    1915-s Panama Pacific Octagonal $50


    Corinthian stater, 4th century BC


    Syracuse decadrachm (dolphins near perimeter), 405-400 BC

  • PerryHall
    PerryHall Posts: 47,752 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @oldabeintx said:
    The Phrygian cap has been a symbol of liberty since antiquity.

    Agree. In ancient Rome, slaves were not allowed to wear a cap. When a slave gained his freedom, there was a ceremony where the slave was presented with a cap to wear that symbolized his freedom. Hence, the liberty cap came to symbolize freedom which is a reoccurring theme on coinage.

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  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,048 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @oldabeintx said:

    @jmlanzaf said:
    They both got the design from the Roman Empire.

    Virtually all classic American coinage was heavily influenced (borrowed? stolen?) from Greco-Roman designs.

    I would suggest that the Buffalo Nickel was the first "American" design on circulating coinage.

    Perhaps include the IHC and $10 Indian with the Buff, although adding a headdress to Liberty isn’t on the same artistic level IMO.

    Compare the Brittania (which first appeared on a Roman coin) reverse on the British penny to our seated liberty coins, especially the Trade Dollar. Ceres head on the 5 franc to the Morgan dollar. For fun, I include “inspiring” foreign coins in my expanded type set. Any excuse to buy coins.

    The IHC is totally Roman with Liberty obverse and wreath reverse. As you say, making Liberty Native American didn't make her any less a representation of Liberty. Same with the $10 gold.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • cinque1543
    cinque1543 Posts: 613 ✭✭✭✭
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    I admit that, in general, I like the classic designs on US and non-US coins better than the bust of a specific person.

  • Creg
    Creg Posts: 1,736 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Madre Mexica appeared in the 1830s.

  • JBK
    JBK Posts: 17,862 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    UK, 1797:

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