Anna Willess Williams

Anna Willess Williams, depicted in 1892

Born|

Anna Willess Williams

1857 (1857)
Died| April 17, 1926(1926-04-17) (aged 68–69)
Known for| Model for George T. Morgan's silver dollar

Anna Willess Williams (1857 – April 17, 1926) was a teacher and philosophical writer best known as the model for George T. Morgan's silver dollar design, popularly known as the Morgan dollar.

## Contents

* 1 Morgan dollar
* 2 Personal life
* 3 References
* 4 Bibliography

## Morgan dollar

1899 Morgan dollar

In 1876, George T. Morgan began creating a series of new coin designs at the behest of Director of the Mint, Dr. Henry R. Linderman.[1] Morgan opted to use the profile of an American girl to depict the Goddess of Liberty instead of simply creating an imaginary figure for the obverse of his new design.[1] After he rejected several possible candidates, Morgan's friend, artist Thomas Eakins, recommended Anna Williams of Philadelphia.[1] Eakins knew Williams through her father, Henry Williams, and she had posed for several of Eakins's paintings.[1]

Williams reluctantly sat for five modelling sessions with Morgan in November 1876 after being convinced to do so by friends.[1] Morgan was impressed with her profile, stating that it was the most perfect he had seen in England or America.[1] The silver dollar bearing her likeness was first struck on March 11, 1878.[1] A condition of her sitting for Morgan was that her identity be kept secret, but the subject of the portrait was revealed to be Williams shortly after the dollar was released.[1] Williams was troubled by her newly acquired fame, receiving thousands of letters and visits at both her home and workplace.[1] Williams preferred not to talk about her modelling work with Morgan, dismissing it as an "incident of my youth."[2]

## Personal life

Despite being offered acting jobs, Williams worked as a teacher until her retirement in 1924.[2] She left her job as principal at a girls' house-of-refuge school to become a teacher of kindergarten philosophy at a girls' normal school.[2] Though she was once engaged to an unknown suitor,[3] Williams died, unmarried, on April 17, 1926.

* Portrait of Anna Williams (c.1878) by Thomas Eakins, private collection

* The Courtship (1878) by Thomas Eakins, Worcester Art Museum

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Van Allen & Mallis, p. 75
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 WOMEN: Goddess (April 26, 1926). Time
3. ↑ Dickerman's United States Treasury Counterfeit Detector & Bankers' and Merchants' Journal. Dickerman & Holler. 1896. , p. 18

## Bibliography

Van Allen, Leroy C. & Mallis, A. George (1991). Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan & Peace Dollars. Virginia Beach, Virginia: DLRC Press. ISBN 1-880731-11-8.

*[c.]: circa