• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Curious on numismatic history.... First US Coin with Real Person?

4 posts in this topic

Hello all---

 

Just pondering 893scratchchin-thumb.gif something today and was curious--what was the first US coin to feature a real person? By real, I mean somebody who actually existed as opposed to an "indian" or "liberty head". Was it the Lincoln penny? Anybody know if there was any "controversy" surrounding the first use of a real person's image on a coin? Just curious on a bit of numismatic history....

 

Thanks!

JakeBlues2 thumbsup2.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First colonial coin: Washington 1790 Penny

First pattern US coin: Washington 1866 Nickel

First circulating coin: Lincoln 1909 Cent

First commemorative coin: Columbus, follow next year by Isabella, Queen of Spain.

1892, 1893 50C & 25C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRUTH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Truth:

 

One might argue that some of the models who posed for Liberty were real people and so they were the first "real people" on U.S. coins. However, I think the spirit of the question was "who was the first person on a U.S. coin that the public would recognize" and so I think your answer is only 110% ( smile.gif ) correct.

 

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites