The Bland Dollar

There was a curious story about the head oí Liberty, says the [Qnstrated American, on the obverse of the üland dollar. This is said to bernodeled from the head of Miss Anna V. Williams, now instructor of philosophy and methods of kindergarten training1 at the Girls' normal school in Philadelphia. At the time the Bland dollar made its flrst appearanee, the secret leaked out somehow, and to avoid the notoriety the ■ most indefatigable efforts were made to deny the fact, and even to this day it is difBcult to gct any of Miss Williams' irieiids who'are in the secret to admit it. Her name went broadcast over the land, however, and from almost every quarter of the globe she was deluged with the most pressing and fiattering offers of marriage. Miss Williams was a student of the Aeademy of Fine Arts whe-i BngMWer (ieorge Morman, who maiV the palK-rn from which the dollar was copied, was casting? about f or a model. Sume ladies among the studenta at the academy wore selected to pose. The contour of Miss Williams' features was chosen as coming nearest to the pure (Irecian ideal. Uefore the pattern was finally adopted it was sent to the academy to get the opinión of some artists as to its artistic merits. The profile was criticised in several particulars, ehiof among which was what was reg-arded as a too prominent chin. Uut the authorities at the mint thoug-ht it one of the most beautiful types of face that was ever submitted for the head of a coin, and it was adopted. As to its strong resemblance to the original, those who see Miss Williams oftenest are best able to testify. It is considered a good likeness, but drawn somewhat finer than the living model. Mr. Morgan, by the way, is an Englishman, and some people insist that he has managed to declare his origin in the "Bland" dollar. I$y holding the coin with the date uppermost, and covering the figure on a line across the eye to the hair, the profile develops a likeness of King George, the chin being his nose. Holding the coin in the same position and covering the medallion on a line from the chin to the base of the cap, the curl of the hair develops a lion with its nose facing left.