Liberty Pole

Benjamin Martin: May I sit with you?
Charlotte Selton: It's a free country. Or at least it will be.
--The Patriot

Early American coinage sometimes captures Ms Liberty clutching, or in the vicinity of, a long stick with a brimless cap on the end. This is a symbol of freedom called a liberty pole.

1856-O 50c PCGS AU55 CAC

In republican Rome, slaves who were granted freedom were often given a soft felt cap. When Julius Caesar was assassinated, the cap was placed on top of a pole to symbolize that the Roman people had been freed from tyranny. The liberty pole was born.

Before and during the American Revolution, colonists erected liberty poles in town squares and on public land. Violent struggles sometimes ensued as British soldiers sought to strike down the symbol. This proved difficult, as it was hard to eradicate such a simple-to-make symbol.

Perhaps we will see a renaissance of liberty poles as the modern struggle for freedom continues.