Indian Head or Liberty Head

[Dr. Witty]

I had a unique experience yesterday. I found this Penny in a friends yard and posted it as an Indian Head. A little while later another friend IM'ed me saying Nice "Indian" Head. I didn't think much of it until this morning when I woke up thinking about it. I've never heard it called anything else, but I know it's not an Indian, but rather Lady Liberty wearing a headdress. Then it got me wondering if anyone else had a similar experience with this coin. So I IM'ed this friend back and she just responded as I write this. She said that she was "complimenting my find and said that everyone knows its an Indian Head but since its such an inappropriate term" she felt the need to put in in quotes. She goes on to say that "we have a dark history in this nation, but we are good people". Thoughts?

 

[mrwilburino]

Every nation has some dark episodes in its history, yet for some strange reason we are expected to feel guilty over ours.
Personally, I couldn't be more proud.

Now I'm off to hunt for buffs, barbers, and native american heads.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Congrats on pulling that IHP. I love to see them in the hole.

 

[Dr. Witty]

I do too, they are beautiful coins. I never get tired of seeing them. Although I've only actually gotten 4 so far.

 

[bigfoot1]

nice INDIAN HEAD !!!

I too am proud of my country.every civilization throughout history has done things in their own interest and at the expense of others,including many of the native tribes towards eachother long before we showed up.Time to move on say I.

America...love it or leave it.

 

[Honest Samuel]

There are Indian heads cents, which you had founded. I had purchased some in mint condition. Be careful in cleaning. Good hunting.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

This PC nonsense reminds me of what happened to the 1950's Cincinnati Reds. They actually changed their team name to the "Redlegs" because of all the communist paranoia going around at that time. That same nonsense is going on today. Can't call a coin an Indian head cent? Oh brother!

Here's some more info on that ridiculous name change, quoted from Wikipedia:

"In April 1953, the Reds, fearing that their traditional club nickname would associate them with the threat of Communism, officially changed the name of the team to the "Cincinnati Redlegs".[2] From 1956 to 1960, the club's logo was altered to remove the term "REDS" from the inside of the "wishbone C" symbol. The "REDS" reappeared on the 1961 uniforms, but the point of the C was removed, leaving a smooth, non-wishbone curve. The traditional home-uniform logo was restored in 1967."

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

It's Liberty, but wearing according to Longacre, the designer, " . . . the feathered tiara is as characteristic of the primitive races of our hemisphere . . . ".

And it's a cent, not a penny. The United States has never minted a penny. ;-)

Same with the "Mercury" dime. It's not Mercury - it's Liberty represented as Freedom of Thought. We just put common names on them. My Dad (b.1912) called the Roosevelt dime the "Fathead dime" (he wasn't a big fan).

 

[Isaac]

It's an Indian... nothing "inappropriate" about the term, that's the common name for the coin. Nice find!

 

[JackalopeZL1]

Nice find. I am of the belief that there are way too many over sensitive people and us as a nation spend way to much time accommodating these people. It is a Indian head, will always be a Indian head..