The Silver Dollar Girl

Anna

 

Miss Anna Williams is the most perfect profile I had ever seen
-George T. Morgan

 

George Morgan, the world renowned designer, was a too much of a realist to use a fancy head representing the head of liberty. In fact, he did a long search for the perfect representation of an American girl to be the model for the Morgan Silver Dollar. Finally, after consulting his friends – that one of them, Thomas Eakins, recommended a schoolteacher from Philadelphia named Anna Willes Williams.

Morgan was immediately impressed by the beauty of the young lady, who was only 18 at that time. He described her as being fair in complexion, “with blue eyes and a Grecian nose,” with hair that was “almost her crowing glory… golden color, abundant and light of texture.”

anna 2

Williams is a modest woman who only agreed to the job on the condition that her identity would remain anonymous. Williams went to Eakins’ house to model for Morgan on five different sittings in November 1876. Supposedly Morgan used the sketches from these sessions as the basis for Lady Liberty, although some accounts say he also used an early photograph of Williams as well.

However, in 1879 a Philadelphia newspaper revealed that she was the “Silver Dollar Girl” and that lead to countless acting job offers, letters and visitor. She was on constant public spotlight that it was rumored that it caused her job and engagement.

On the other hand, A lot of of people also believed that Anna Willess Williams was not the real model of Lady Liberty. There were a lot speculations because there was a said letter written by Morgan’s wife to her daughter that their dad just made up the obverse side of the coin. This theory was supported by people who pointed out that the Lady Liberty’s coin profile was too old to be an 18-year old.

How about you? Do you think Anna Willess Williams was the real model for Lady Liberty  or was it just a coincidence that she looks identical with the portrait on the coin?

See for yourself and bid for the Tough Date, Brilliant Uncirculated 1882-CC Morgan Silver Dollar. HERE

 

 

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