HETTIE ANDERSON, MODEL FOR SAINT-GAUDENS

Hettie Anderson was an African American model who, long story short, was odds-on the one to pose for Liberty on Saint-Gaudens’ eagle and double eagle coins, as well as Adolph Weinman’s Walking Liberty 50-cent (or half dollar) coin.

The thing is that for many years, the stunning female figure depicted on the eagle coins was a complete mystery for everyone else except Saint-Gaudens’ close family, friends, and work colleagues. His family actually tried to keep this information unknown, perhaps because she was black. Luckily, thanks to William E. Hagans’ research, the nearly century-old secret was discovered and Hettie Anderson received the proper kudos.

Although other models were receiving credit for Adolph Weinman’s Walking Liberty half dollar coin, Weinman described Hettie in all without mentioning her name – probably, once more, because she was African American.

Hettie Anderson was a successful model born in South Carolina in 1873 and relocated to New York City in . At that time, her job was very uncommon for a black woman. She also posed as the Liberty figure on Saint-Gaudens’ twenty-dollar gold coin and as the Victory figure for the Sherman Monument.

To read the complete article, see:
The Story of the First African American to Appear on a U.S. Coin (https://blackexcellence.com/the-first-african-american-to-appear-on-a-u-s-coin/)

Hettie Anderson was born in South Carolina in 1873. She relocated to New York City, where she became an artist's model, an uncommon employment at that time for a woman of African-American descent. Anderson posed for the Sherman Monument's figure of Victory in 1897; one of her sittings with Saint-Gaudens was captured by the artist Anders Zorn. Anderson was also the model for the figure of Liberty on Saint-Gaudens' twenty-dollar gold piece.

To read the complete article, see:
Hettie Anderson (https://sgnhs.org/augustus-gaudens-cd-html/Models/Hettie.htm)

Roger Burdette confirms:

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web