Owner Comments:
1872 $5 Amazonian Five Dollar,
Judd-1241, Pollock-1383
Rarity:Low R.7, PR63 Brown
Ex: Simpson.
Struck in copper with a reeded edge.
Obverse: It features a head of Liberty facing left wearing a Phrygian headcap with the headband inscribed LIBERTY and her hair flowing from underneath. There are 13 stars surrounding the bust and date is below,.
Reverse: Barber's standing spread wing eagle with one talon holding 3 arrows and the other is supporting a shield with a scroll draped over with IN GOD WE TRUST inscribed on it. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps around the perimeter above and “FIVE DOL. beneath
Comment:
William Barber's so-called Amazonian patterns are one of the most famous of all pattern designs, certainly the best known of the "named" series of patterns. Judd-1241 represents the most accessible version of the Amazonian five dollar with reportedly more than a dozen pieces known. The design represents the only uniform design ever made for all six gold denominations.
The gold Amazonian five dollar is unique, and only three examples are known in aluminum. This piece is a select proof features a copper-orange obverse and a deeper brown reverse with blue and violet colors appearing on each side.
Interesting to note that Saul Tiechman also believes the name “ Amazonian” may have originated with the 1890 (2/26/1890 ) New York Stamp & Coin company sale of Parmelee's coins
Lot 231 “1872 Barber's set. Dollar, Half, and Quarter Dol.: Amazonian figure of Liberty seated l. caressing an eagle, and resting on shield and sword with her l. arm: stars around border. Rx defiant eagle clasps three arrows and supports a shield labelled IN GOD WE TRUST: values below: silver: proofs: very rare; 3 pcs." The lot realized $13.50.
New York Stamp & Coin company was the same cataloger (April 1891) that coined the term “Wash-lady” for that series of Barber designs but in that case the description included ” …with enormous head of hair, held together by nothing visible …” which offered some insight in the nickname.
While the "Silver" seated liberty series was labelled "Amazonian" I do not know when the 6 piece Liberty Bust gold series of that year was nicknamed Amazonian. In the same catalogs NY Coin and Stamp did not use "Amazonian" as the descriptor rather just described the pieces as
"profile of Liberty L. with Phrygian Cap: "
While there is no such additional description in the sale catalog for Amazonian it may have been been given the name as Liberty's has a warlike appearance that can remind one of the mythological female Amazonian warrior - that may not realy be a myth.
Looking the the The British Museum site was a famous sculpture
… Boudicca was one furious woman. Roman sources tell us that to intimidate this native Briton and the Iceni tribe of whom she was leader, ... The Romans violated her 2 daughters and in the heat of Boudicca’s anger, the humiliated queen strategized her rage and persuaded others to join her to try to push Rome out of Britannia...."
"... The same applies when it comes to the Amazons. Although they have been judged through time to be a quasi-mythical race of warrior women – archaeological and historical research now suggests these were real, flesh-and-blood female fighters from the tribes of Scythia and Sarmatia. …" [extracted from a blog by THE BRITISH MUSEUM]
There is archaeological evidence that show that a large percentage of excavated Sarmatian military burials include armed Sarmatian women, and that they occupy central positions in the grave and are buried with objects that indicate that they were rich and powerful.
Provenance:
Ex: Bob Simpson Heritage Aug 2021 ANA WFOM Auction / Lot #3175; Prior
- American Numismatic Rarities Jan 2006 ,The Robert Michael Prescott Collection / Lot 928 (as PR63 BN NGC;
- Believe also to be the Superior Feb 2000 Pre-Long Beach Sale of United States Coinage /Lot #882 (NGC 63 BN Again) ($3450)
- Bowers & Merena Mar 1999 (Voigt & Dr. Wallace Lee Collections) / Lot #58 (NGC 63BN Pass),
- Akers Oct 1997 (John Jay Pittman Collection: Part 1)/ Lot 802;
JPP Purchased for $205 from Empire Coin Co. on 8/9/61. Ex. Lenox Lohr Collection, Prior King Farouk