A visit with Vermeule... Got seated material?

[Hoot]

Howdy - I have been researching the origins of seated Liberty material and have been having quite a bit of fun doing it. There are, of course, wide differences of opinion on the attractiveness of the seated effigy. (There will be an article on her origins in the December Coin Values, just FYI.) One of the more amusing reviews of the seated Lib figure came from Cornelius Vermeule in his 1971 work entitled Numismatic Art in America. Vermeule was the Curator of Classical Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and he taught variously at Harvard. So, I suppose his view of Liberty came from his educated perspective. Anyhow, this is how he described the seated Lib on p. 47 of his text:

 

"Despite the relationship with Greek and Roman forms, the seated Liberty on the obverse of the silver dollar and its divisions is a thoroghly American creation of the age when artists from the young republic were traveling to Italy in the generation following the Napoleonic Wars. The long nose, the large eye (like that of a baby chicken), the hair combed not back but down across the temples in a loop like that worn by the young Queen Victoria, and the rubbery physique are characteristics of Neoclassic heroines in American painting of these decades. Jane McCrea massacred by Indians in upstate New York during the Revolutionary War or merchants' daughters sitting for their portraits are given the same set of features, both the details and the proto-Victorian aura of plump, wide-eyed youthfulness. Clutching her rediculous little hat on a pole and the small shield nestling in the drapery at her side, Liberty looks anxiously over her shoulder as if the horde of Indians were sprinting through the starry firmament toward her."

 

 

I got a great laugh out of this, although I do not agree with the interpretation.

 

Vermeul was often wry and dryly comical in his commentary on U.S. artwork when it came to coins. A great read - initially recommended to me by TomB.

 

I have but one of three insignificant seated Liberty pieces photographed, so here it is... Post yours!

 

 

Hoot

[IGWT]

I agree with Cornelius :-) I'd paste a big grin, but the instant UBB codes aren't working. :-( What prompted your research into the design of the seated coinage, Hoot?

[supertooth]

Hoot old buddy----Whether technical or market graded---What a beautiful quarter dollar. If your other two Seated coins are just as nice, you have cornered the marketplace! Wonderful old "original" toning too. What a coin!! Bob [supertooth ]

[TomB]

Vermeule is my favorite numismatic writer! He also had one heck of a coin collection. Here's a nice dime.

[Hoot]

IGWT - ............. I'm sure glad that we all don't collect the same thing!

 

What prompted my research was the December CV article... have a looksie if you have the time.

 

Thank you Bob for the kind words! I kinda love that coin. I have a nice matching half dime from 1840.

 

 

Tom! Whoa! I just had to bring your coin up to the front!

 

 

Hoot

[jom]

Please ship coins to me so I can take them off the market due to lack of eye appeal. I'll make sure no one ever sees them again.

 

Thank you.

 

jom

[RGT]

I have but one of three insignificant seated Liberty pieces photographed, so here it is... Post yours!

 

How could you call that an insignificant coin? That's a no drapery type coin in excellent shape with beautiful toning and a great look. A coin doesn't have to be MS to be "significant".

[Die Varieties]

Those are some beauties! Interesting reading too.

[supertooth]

Great pictures of a great dime, Tom B------And Hoot, what can I say? Another beauty! When I am finished with my Walkers, I had been thinking of some Seated Type coins. I think I am seriously thinking that I have deceided for sure. Those old colors in Vf--Au are just my cup of tea. If any of you want to cross the street, take a look at Tyler"s [Arco] Walker and Barber. Chills just run up and down my spine to see these nice coins. All you youngsters out there----LOOK AT THESE COINS. It is what they are supposed to look like. Grading coins like these is almost unimportant. You got to fall in love as soon as you see them. My hat"s off to TOM B and Hoot. Bob [supertooth ]

[chinook]

Eye like a baby chicken. That cracks me up.

 

I love seated coinage if it displays the toning as the examples posted in this thread.

[Bruceswar]

great coins to all .. WOW.. thanks for posting

[michael]

if some young gurl but over 21 that looked like this miss seated liberty offered to buy you a drink would you take her up on it and then date her and possibly consider marriage and children??

[michael]

do you likes plump neoclassical homely women??

 

if they where tigeress in the bedroom???

[toyonakataro]

Hoot- great coins!! I like both, especially that quarter I guess it must have been extremely tough to find one like that.

 

 

TomB's dime is also great you can sell it to me if you want

[Oldtrader3]

To each his own, some like classical coins, some like moderns. Some like skinny women, some like the plumper variety. Whatever floats your boat!!

[Merc]

Nicely toned Seated coins look great. The boring grey with charcoal speckle toning coin looks so flat and plain. Here is a 1847 half with deep violet and red orange toning. I'll have to try to get a better picture sometime.

 

[chinook]

Looks nice Merc.

 

Try to adjust the white balance and I think your photo will becaome more true to life. I use OTT lights which do a great job of representing the actual colors.

[Hoot]

Your coin has great detail, Merc, and I'll bet it's quite nice in person. What I like about the half dollar seated pieces is that they did not mess much with Gobrecht's original design, especially compared with other denominations.

 

Hoot

[Merc]

Thanks for the nice comments. NGC gave this half a 64. The coin has these red-orange and violet tones as I rotate it under light. It was just hard to get the colors without getting a reflection off the plastic holder. The coin has these extremely fine lines in the fields. They are so small and fine I cannot tell if they are raised (die polish lines) or are sunken (cleaning lines). All the lines stop in the fields so I think they are die polish lines. If the coin had been cleaned, the lines would go over the devices too.

[HaydenTubbs]

Well here's one of mine;not a whopper but it does have a hot babe on the front.Chicken eye not withstanding :

 

 

-Hayden

[EVillageProwler]

Hoot - CV also had an exceptional collection. I own a piece, but not a Seated coin.

[ldhair]

[EZ_E]

 

 

 

That is exactly what I'm looking for for my type collection. All Seated Liberty images shown are incredible!!I love that 1840 half dime, bigtime, as well!!

 

Even li'le Tubski has a nice one to share! Got beat out of it on ebay.

[Fletcher]

Just picked this one up tonight ... it is a pattern coin :-)

 

[Hoot]

Hoot - CV also had an exceptional collection. I own a piece, but not a Seated coin.

 

Even so, EVP, post it if you can!

 

I hear Vermule had an exquisite collection and would love to have visited with the man when his health was better. Heard he is very entertaining and extremely knowledgable.

 

Hoot

[jom]

OK, OK...maybe it's time I start getting a few of these for a type set. I know I'm going against my mantra of 20th Century date sets ONLY but what the hell...why not?

 

jom

[Hoot]

OK, OK...maybe it's time I start getting a few of these for a type set. I know I'm going against my mantra of 20th Century date sets ONLY but what the hell...why not?

 

jom

 

 

 

Congratulations jom! Here's a bit more inspiration:

 

 

Hoot

[supertooth]

OK Hoot---Enough is enough. I cannot stop my Walker set but I sure will keep my eye out for some nice type outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed That 41 is another one to be "proud" of. Never had to convince me. I knew it all the time. Just a lovely coin!! Bob [supertooth]

[jom]

Congratulations jom! Here's a bit more inspiration:

 

I'm duely inspired. Therefore, please send me all of your examples of Seated material. My inspiration needs some tangeble objects for consideration.

 

Thanks

 

jom

P.O. Box 22

Suckerborneveryday, CA

92020

[Tradedollarnut]

I have one seated [of sorts] coin from the Vermeule collection: