Of all the women we have mentioned so far in our blog series following Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Women on Coins publication, this next one is arguably one of the most well-known not just in the entire world, but especially in the numismatic world. With help from author Ron Guth, we will take a look at this top 15 pick that could have easily been number one in our opinion, given the fact that she is not just influential on coins and currency, but also on the makings of this new world we now live in.
#14 - Sacagawea
The actual date of Sacagawea’s birth is unknown, but she is believed to have been born around 1788. Kidnapped in 1800 by the Hidatsa tribe and sold to a French-Canadian trapper named Toussaint Charbonneau, Sacagawea would eventually accompany him to Fort Mandan in North Dakota in 1804 as his wife as he was hired by Lewis and Clark as an interpreter. They would join in on the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase and search for the route through the Northwest to the Pacific Ocean. Pregnant at the time, she would give birth in February to their son, Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau.
Sacagawea proved to be very important during their journey, earning respect from explorers Lewis and Clark. She survived illnesses and near drownings, all with a baby on her back. Her knowledge of the land allowed for the growth of valuable food, including berries, roots, and edible plants. Her brother, Cameahwait, was the chief of the Shoshones at the time. Her relationship with him allowed for the successful negotiations of horses as they needed them to complete their journey. Sacagawea's mere presence was reassurance enough for tribes they encountered along the way that their intentions were peaceful. Simply put, without her, the journey could have failed given the tensions between white men and Native American tribes.
The United States Mint would finally honor Sacagawea with the issue of a new dollar coin in 2000. The obverse of the coin would feature the portrait of Sacagawea with her baby son on her back. Because there were no contemporary portraits of her known to exist, the coin’s designer, Glenna Goodacre, used a Shoshone Bannock woman named Randy’L He-dow Teton as her model for the image. The dollar coins are still annually struck today in Uncirculated, Proof, and Reverse Proof finishes.
Their collecting difficulty is easy. Although no longer used by the public in everyday commerce, they are extremely common.