The Woman on the Quarter: Doris Doscher, A True Lady of Liberty
The Renaissance of American Coinage has long been celebrated in United States history for its innovative reimagining of our nation’s coinage. While the designers and coins of this generation are immortalized in the numismatic canon, the memories of those that inspired the coins are often swept away in time. One of the most iconic pieces of the renaissance period was Hermon MacNeil’s Standing Liberty Quarter, which showcased a militaristic rendition of Lady Liberty brandishing a shield in a defensive position. But who was this woman depicted on the Standing Liberty Quarter? This woman was none other than Doris Doscher, a woman whose aura has been described as “the highest type of American womanhood.”
In 1915, as one of her first modeling opportunities, Doris Doscher modeled for Karl Bitter’s “Abundance,” which still stands in the Pulitzer Fountain outside of the Plaza Hotel in New York City. She would later model for Anna Hyatt Huntington’s “Diana of the Chase” sculpture in 1922. Her likeness even appears on Hermon MacNeil’s Flushing World War Memorial Monument known as the Angel of Peace.
Doscher, however, was a multifaceted talent, appearing under the stage name Doris Doree in several stage shows and silent films. After she had put her career as an actress and model behind her, she went on to write and host radio shows about public health & wellness in several magazines as well as develop ongoing columns for newspapers. Doris’ interest in health was sparked by her own personal struggles, as she had recovered from polio as a child.
Despite her numerous accomplishments through life, Doscher is most remembered as “the Girl on the Quarter,” as she is known to be the woman who modeled for MacNeil’s Standing Liberty Quarter. In 1966, Doscher appeared on the television show “I’ve Got a Secret,” where she explained that it was her suggestion that Lady Liberty would be approaching the viewer in a powerful pose for the Standing Liberty Quarter. Her depiction of Lady Liberty on this quarter, even inspired Columbia Pictures’ original logo in 1924.
While another friend of the MacNeil family has stepped forward claiming to be the model for the Standing Liberty Quarter, Doris Doscher was credited as being the model as early back as 1917, the year after the quarter was introduced to circulation. Throughout her entire life, Doscher was known as “the Woman on the Quarter,” and she and her husband stood by that claim. As a lifelong friend of Hermon MacNeil, Doscher even joined the mayor of New York in 1966 to rename a park after MacNeil.
Today, we not only honor the Standing Liberty Quarter and its legacy, we honor the woman who inspired its beauty. Doris Doscher will forever be remembered, not only as “the Woman on the Quarter,” but for all of her accomplishments and efforts.
