The Stephen & Verna Rich Family Home PageUpdated September 5, 2000 |
Stephen J. Rich 20 Beach Ave. Penns Grove, NJ 08069 United States (609) 299-7626 srich@jaguar.com |
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| We are searching for genealogy on the Rich (Ricciardelli), Mendes, Kerlin, and Peterson Family lines.The Riches and Mendes are primarily in the NY, NJ area. The Petersons and Kerlins are primarily in PA, MO, and ID.Thanks to the help of several distant relatives we've found through this program, we should have this poorly constructed site up to speed soon!This story from our family history may be of interst to some. This is my wife's family.Face of Distant Kin of Waterloo People Adorns Indian Cent of Early Mintage Those who believe that the head of an Indian maiden adorned the humblest of coins up to the time the Lincoln penny made its appearance, have another guess coming. The head is a reproduction of Mrs. Sarah Langacre Keen, a white women, a sister of the mother of Mrs. J. W. Miller, 616 Ninth Street West. Mrs. Miller is the mother of Cal J. Miller and J. J. Miller, Waterloo, and U.C. Miller and H. W. Miller, Orange Township, the latter member of the county board of supervisors. Photo Vastly Distributed. The story of how Sarah Longacre Keen became the model for the Indian Penny is herewith reprinted from the Philadelphia Record: Mrs. Sarah Longacre Keen, who lived and died in Philadelphia, came nearer being the Queen of the American Mint than any other woman who ever lived. With theexception of Queen Victoria, whose image was engraved on every coin of the British and Indian Empires, Mrs. Keen was first in the number of metal photographs. Her face as a girl of 12 summers is to be seen on every American cent issued since 1836 up to the coinage of the Lincoln cent from Uncle Sam’s coin factory. It is usually assumed that the face on the head side of the copper is that of an Indian, but a closer look will reveal it is a Saxon profile. Just borrow a cent and examine it. But the setting is that of an Indian. One Thousand Compete For Design Between 1828 and 1840 James Barton Longacre was the chief engraver of the United States mint in Philadelphia. In 1835 a competition was opened for sketches and engravings for a new copper cent that was to be issued and that has since been in service. There were a thousand designs offered. The prize was a good one. Longacre wracked his brain for some original and singular design that would strike the judge, but for months he failed to satisfy himself. One morning a number of Indians, with their chief, who had been to pay their respects to the Great White Chief at Washington, came to the city and were shown through the mint. They were introduced to the white Chief’s picture maker, who was just then showing his young daughter, Sarah, the great concern. The old chief was attracted by the sweet-faced maiden and her interest in his feathers and paint. She childishlywondered how she would look in the feathered headgear. This was told the chief, who solemnly divested himself of the feathers and had them placed on the girl’s head. The effect was so striking that the father took time to make a sketch of the picture, finishing it afterwards for his own amusement. Wins as by Accident. At the last moment of the period given for sending in the engravings, he bethought himself of the possibility of the combination of Indian feathers and Saxon sweetness. Hegot it in, and much sport was made of the child at the time in the city because of the incident. The sketch passed through the seventh sifting and finally reached the last round. By one vote it won, and ever since Sarah Longacre’s young face has served for the humblest of coins, than which no other coin in the world has a more tremendous circulation. The Family of Longacre, descendants of Daniel and Ulrich Longenecker, has grown into one of the largest in the United States. The family’s owing their existence to this couple are said to exceed 12,000 in this country. Some have revisited the name and spelling Longacre and Longaker. |
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