Who Modeled for Indian Head Nickel Design?

Editor’s Note: For nearly 60 years, the feature-rich pages of Coins magazine, Numismatic News’ venerable sister publication, have tracked the history, fun and the growth of this great hobby, while also attracting new collectors to pursue what was once deemed the “hobby of kings.” Dusting off these time-aged issues, from the early 1960s and beyond, each installment of “Past Times with Coins,” written by its former longtime editor, explores what nuggets of interest they contain.

One of my favorite coinage designs is the Indian Head nickel, by James Earle Fraser. The January 1963 issue of Coins magazine included an article, “Whose Nickel’s Worth,” by Lois Ryker, detailing some of its history and the later controversy over the models for the design.

“Of all the American coins one