Why a Seated Liberty?

When the Liberty Seated design was removed from United States coins in 1891, it had been used for the past 55 years as the principal design for all silver coins, with the lone exception of the 3-cent piece. Ostensibly, it was a popular favorite, yet it was probably not very much admired at that time, and it was hardly an appropriate symbol to represent Lady Liberty. 

Birth of the Seated Liberty Design

The original concept goes back to an English medal minted in 1667 that used a seated figure of Britannia to represent England’s decision to sign the Treaty of Breda. The treaty modified trade laws to favor the Dutch, and England was allowed to retain its territories in North America, which at that time included most of New York, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Astonishingly, when some of the pre-federal state coinage was minted in Vermont, Connecticut, and New York, a similar seated Liberty design was used to represent Liberty and Independence as an American concept. How a woman sitting on a pile of rocks came to be used on the Peace of Breda medal is just as curious as how she came to be chosen to represent Liberty on U.S. coins. The drama began with an Antwerp family who had helped England’s King Charles II during his exile and subsequent return to power. 

The original concept goes back to an English medal minted in 1667 that used a seated figure of Britannia.

Seated Britannia                           

The Roettier family settled in England just about the time King Charles was experimenting with his new milled coinage in 1662. John Roettier was a talented Dutch engraver who had not escaped the king’s attention, and he was invited to accept a position at the mint to design a new series of coins that would be compatible with the coinage of machinery recently installed by Pierre Blondeau. Roettier accepted and was made joint engraver with Thomas Simon.

Competition between Roettier and Simon was bitter as each tried to entice the king to accept their designs. The magnificent piece known as the “Simon Petition Crown” contained an edge inscription extolling his work and asking the king to relieve Roettier of his position at the mint. But his plea was in vain. Roettier’s design won the king’s approval, perhaps not entirely because of its artistic superiority, but through a carefully conceived ruse. He used as his model of the seated Britannia none other than the king’s mistress, Frances Stewart, the duchess of Richmond. And her portrait was so well engraved that it was clearly identifiable. 

When a similar design was suggested for use on America’s first Seated Liberty coins, a similar misinterpretation of the seated figure came into play. Despite the excellence of Christian Gobrecht’s modeling, it is a pity that none of the men involved with implementing the design ever really knew the true background or significance of the seated figure that had mutated from a symbol of Roman conquest and domination to that of the naval strength in Great Britain.

Roman Origins

Typical examples of the ancient Roman coins that used the device to spread the word about their conquests include denarii of Vespasian from 69-79 with the inscription JUDAEA CAPTA; those of Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 98-117), commemorating the capture of Armenia; and the similar coins of Septimius Severus (A.D. 193-211) extolling their British victories. Perhaps the most famous example of all is the large bronze sestertius coins of Geta (A.D. 209-212) with the familiar seated figure and inscription announcing their British victory and the captives in humiliation and mourning.

Questionable Choice                                            

Although the Seated Liberty design was used on nearly all U.S. silver coins for over a half century, not everyone accepted or appreciated the symbolism. A classic, searing commentary was published in Galaxy magazine in 1876, asking, “Why do we have the ugliest money of all civilized nations?” The Seated Liberty design, it said, was “poor, common-place, and tasteless.” It continued, “That young woman sitting on nothing in particular, wearing nothing to speak of, looking over her shoulder at nothing imaginable, and bearing in her left hand something that look like a broomstick with a woolen nightcap on it—What is she doing there?”

Current Appreciation

In recent years, devotees of the seated figure have formed clubs and organizations to express their admiration for the design and collect and preserve related coins and historical data for future generations. The Liberty Seated Collectors Club is a group of over 600 collectors and dealers dedicated to studying and attributing all coins with similar designs. Its members have published several books, articles, and research papers.

One of the most popular references, A Guide Book of Liberty Seated Silver Coins by Q. David Bowers, is a 608-page paperback covering the entire series’ historical and commercial aspects. Another of equal importance is Numismatic Art in America by Cornelius Vermeule. This book explores aspects of America’s coinage designs from the earliest specimens to the present day. Both of those and related references are readily available from booksellers and Internet sources.

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ANA members, want to learn more about the history of the seated liberty design? Read Ken Bressett’s feature article in the June 2025 issue of The Numismatist. (Login required.)