Penny (Archaeological Find)
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Title:
Penny
Subject:
Though pennies seem common, they are an exciting find at archaeological sites! Coins often have visible dates and iconography that are invaluable to interpretation. This penny found in Harvard Yard is no exception. Despite the significant corrosion, its identifying characteristics are still visible. The obverse side features the left-facing profile of a figure wearing a Native American headdress. The reverse side features the words “ONE CENT” encircled by a wreath. These are characteristic of the “Indian Head” penny produced by the United States Mint from 1859 to 1909. Though the date is no longer visible, it must have been created during this time.
This penny using Native American imagery is significant to understanding colonialism in the United States. Native American imagery has been systematically used in the United States to shape perception of the relationship between Native Americans and European settlers and their descendants (Davis-Delano et al. 2023). Here, despite being called the “Indian Head” penny, the coin features a Caucasian woman wearing the native headdress (Bullion 2015). By placing this image on the national currency, the idea that settlers have ownership over this aspect of Native American culture was widely dispersed and subsequently communicated this idea of ownership to all that it met. In doing so, the colonial goal of asserting ownership over North America was furthered, a shift in methodology decades after the Indian Removal act of 1830 in which ownership of the land was physically taken (National Museum n.d.). This coin is succeeded by a similar ten-dollar coin created in 1906 that features a Caucasian woman and later by the Native American $1 Coin Program which features Sacagawea and continues today. The former’s iconographic persistence and the latter’s iconographic break may show changes in how Native American imagery is used.
Source:
1 Cent, United States, 1865
N.d. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_1082325, accessed February 24, 2024.
10 Dollars, United States, 1907
N.d. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_1088218, accessed February 24, 2024.
Coin | National Museum of the American Indian
N.d. https://americanindian.si.edu/collections-search/objects/NMAI_412312?destination=edan_searchtab%3Fedan_q%3Dcoin%26edan_fq%255B0%255D%3Dobject_type%253A%2522Coins%2520%2528money%2529%2522, accessed February 24, 2024.
Davis-Delano, Laurel R., Renee V. Galliher, Adrienne J. Keene, Desi Small-Rodriguez, and Joseph P. Gone
2023 White American Historical Memory and Support for Native Appropriation. Race and Social Problems. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12552-023-09407-5, accessed February 24, 2024.
Indian Head Penny (1859-1909)
2015 JM Bullion. https://www.jmbullion.com/coin-info/cents/indian-head-pennies/, accessed February 24, 2024.
National Museum of the American Indian
N.d. The Removal Act. https://americanindian.si.edu/americans/#stories/the-removal-act, accessed February 24, 2024.
Object Name:
Penny
Inventory Description:
"Indian Head" Penny made between 1859 to 1909. Heavily corroded but identifying characteristics visible.
Peabody Number:
2023.11.13
Culture/Period:
19th C, 20th C
Intrasite:
H977, L1
Depth:
0-16.5cm
Class 1:
Metal
Class 2:
Personal
Class 3:
Coin
Quantity:
1
Height (cm):
1.9cm
Width (cm):
1.9cm
Depth/Thickness (cm):
.2cm
Century:
19th C, 20th C