I was thinking about it and I think a lot of the motifs in coinage has a lot to do with art made by the artists of the time.... Not sure if any people on T.N. are into art, but my background is in art, and is my trade as well.
Around turn of the century there was a major classical revival going on in the arts, and female figures being the focus of much art along with nature subjects, (artist ~ J.W. Waterhouse - Bougereau - Lord Leighton to name a few). Even the whole arts and crafts movement, and art noveau movements and writers like Thoreau...(late 1800's to turn of century) was largely nature and female focused with simplistic designs. Anyway, I just think that these artistic ideals can be seen in the coinage of the times because that's largely what the artist of the time where interested in portraying, and the Liberty & Eagle and cent wreath leaves was a perfect vehicle for this expression. Anyway, just my 2 cents worth.
By about 1930's the art changed and everything started to get homaginized up till today with the main art people are exposed to being computer graphic flash bells and whistles on the commercials on TV. Kind of sad in my opinion. The ideals of what good art is has changed, so now we have crappy quarters and nickels, because of those changes in thought on art and design.
Just realize who designs the coins and what those artists were exposed to for their generation. Hope that makes sense.
