The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 19, May 8, 2005, Article 20

WHO DIDN'T POSE FOR FRASER'S INDIAN?

Roger deWardt Lane writes: "Steve Schor and Roger deWardt
Lane, aka Mutt and Jeff in Florida, generally spend Thursday
mornings visiting the largest flea market in South Florida –
Sunrise Swap Shop – 88 acres of new and used merchandise,
looking for numismatic items. Most of the time it#39;s exercise,
sunshine and good conversation. Today Steve purchased a
deal of circulation silver. Some young person had purchased
Whitman blue folders in mid 60#39;s at thirty-two cents each (the
price tag was still on some of them) and started putting aside
silver they found in change. Only two buffalo nickels had
dates. But of special interest was a newspaper clipping dated
1967 pasted in the nickel folder. I quote:

Below two pictures - a profile head of Chief John Big Tree
and a picture of the “Indian Nickel”, today known as the
classic buffalo nickel. The news clipping continues –

Nickel Model Dies Upstate Syracuse, N.Y. (AP) –
Chief John Big Tree, whose stern, sharp profile was the
model for the now rare Indian head nickels, died yesterday
at his home on the Onondaga Indian Reservation. Big Tree
was an Iroquois and claimed to be 102 years old. Records
kept by the Onondaga County Historical Assn., show him
to be 92. He posed for the nickel etching in 1912. That
particular nickel no longer is minted. Big Tree, whose
Christian name was Isaac Johnny John, also played more
than 100 minor parts in old-time cowboy and Indian movies.
He often described himself as the “best bareback rider in
Hollywood”

Rogers adds, “I guess you should not completely believe
everything you read in an old newspaper.” A little Internet
search quotes the ANA - “American sculptor James Earle
Fraser began designing the Indian Buffalo nickel in 1911.
Fraser said the portrait on the "head's" side was a composite
of three American Indians - Iron Tail, Big Tree and Two
Moons. He had the opportunity to study and photograph
them when they stopped in New York on their way to
Washington to visit President Theodore Roosevelt. By
borrowing features from each individual, Fraser was able
to sketch the "ideal" portrait for the nickel.”

[Coincidently, on Friday evening I read the Taylor Morrison
book "The Buffalo Nickel" to my sons Christopher and
Tyler at bedtime. They listened attentively. Although it's
a children's book, the history and numismatics is far from
watered-down. In fact, it is a great capsule history of the
life of James Earle Fraser, and I learned a few things myself
from the book. Copies are available on the web for $10
or less, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest
in Fraser or his famous nickel. It's not inappropriate for a
high school library despite being aimed at a younger audience,
so I would nominate it for Roger's $1,000 library.

Here's a web page with more information about the book:
More Information
-Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor 
at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum