# Susan B. Anthony dollar wasn't 13-sided **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 3, 1999, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799 "1999-06-03T04:17:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 1999, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/1 "1999-06-03T04:17:00Z")
Not only was the original “polygonal” shape of the Susan B. Anthony dollar reduced to a picture of a polygon on a round reeded-edged coin (perhaps due to pressure from vending machine manufacturers) – the original coin design didn’t even call for a 13-sided polygon! I just counted the sides of the polygon on one of my 1979 dollar coins. It has 11 of them. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 1999, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/2 "1999-06-03T16:08:00Z")
You’re right. By a strange coincidence, I have an SBA dollar with me, and it only has eleven “sides”. Why would they choose eleven? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 1999, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/3 "1999-06-03T16:30:00Z")
Lots of possible explanations: -Eleven sides for the Biblical eleven brothers of Joseph -To express direct opposition to the metric system, it was felt that 11 sides would drive the French crazy. -Eleven sides for the original eleven colonies (excluding Rhode Island, which is too small to be seen on most maps anyway, and excluding New York, which – like California – isn’t really part of the USA) -It was a typo, they meant “elven” as in having to do with elves. -Because Susan B. Anthony’s wedding dress was made from 11 yards of material. It was originally supposed to be made from the traditional whole nine yards of material, but her dressmaker got carried away. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 1999, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/4 "1999-06-04T05:17:00Z")
Don’t forget there are eleven lamp posts on the back of the U.S. $10 bill. (Preceding information courtesy of the [Useless Information](http://www.angelfire.com/ia/gumpybaby/info.html) page.) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 1999, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/5 "1999-06-08T02:40:00Z")
Yes, there are 11 lamp posts on the back of a ten-dollar bill, but this is because the U.S. Treasury Building had 11 lamp-posts in front of it in real life. (At least it did in the 1910s, when the engraving for the back of the $10 was made). I doubt the number of lamp posts in front of the Treasury Building influenced the design of the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. But note the following: 1. The Canadian “Loony” dollar coin is also based on an 11-sided polygon. And, unlike the U.S. version, the Canucks did it right: The Loony really does have an 11-edged rim, not just a picture of one stamped onto a round coin. 2. There were 11 states in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Perhaps the designer of the Susan B. Anthony dollar was from one of the former Confederate States of America. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 1999, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/6 "1999-06-08T19:26:00Z")
Yankees may have thought that there were 11, but no self-respecting Confederate would have admited to fewer than 13, as represented by the number of stars on the Confederate flag and the number of state delegations seated in the legislature. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 1999, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/7 "1999-06-10T16:21:00Z")
Yeah, yeah, Kentucky and Missouri were considered “honorary” members of the Confederacy even though they never seceded from the Union. Then again, many of the people who feel this way also believe that slavery had nothing whatsoever to do with the southern states’ decision to secede from the Union in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 1999, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/8 "1999-06-10T16:33:00Z")
Hey Tracer, why are you trolling? Uncle Cecil will not take the bait and others who have been here a while burnt that "T"shirt a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 1999, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/9 "1999-06-11T00:33:00Z")
You think I’m kidding about that? The following text comes from [http://www.icss.com/usflag/confederate.stars.and.bars.html](http://www.icss.com/usflag/confederate.stars.and.bars.html) : “The crimes committed by these [modern hate] groups under the stolen banner of the conderacy only exacerbate the lies which link the seccesion to slavery interests when, from a Southerner’s view, the cause was state’s rights.” ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 1999, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/10 "1999-06-28T20:36:00Z")
[[You think I’m kidding about that? The following text comes from [http://www.icss.com/usflag/confederate.stars.and.bars.html](http://www.icss.com/usflag/confederate.stars.and.bars.html) : “The crimes committed by these [modern hate] groups under the stolen banner of the conderacy only exacerbate the lies which link the seccesion to slavery interests when, from a Southerner’s view, the cause was state’s rights.”]] Tracer The only “state’s right” they were concerned about, of course, was the right to continue owning other human beings as slaves. As Gus noted, we’ve been through this before, and the bottom line is that it is nothing more than self-serving malarky to insist that there was some noble vision of states’ rights and constitutional structure that provoked the South into rebellion. The war was about slavery, and the right of the southern states to secede in order to maintain the slave system. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 1999, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/11 "1999-06-28T23:09:00Z")
How the @!!#\* did a question about the number of sides on a coin turn into a (one-sided so far) debate about the causes of the Civil War!? Open a topic in Great Debates if you want to discuss these issues. * * * “I wept because I had no shoes, then I met a man with no feet. So I took his shoes” - Dave Barry ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 1999, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/12 "1999-06-29T19:28:00Z")
[tracer points deensively at whitetho’s second message in this thread] He started it! [tracer takes a look at the message he posted immediately before whitetho’s message] Um … okay, _I_ started it, then. [tracer snivels and tries to act pathetic] I was only tryin’ to say that counting Kentucky and Missouri as members of the Confederacy is about as absurd as any of the most outlandish Confederate claims made over the years – including the one about slavery having nothing to do with secession. That’s all! Honest! Cross my heart and hope to spit! [tracer spits] D’OH! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 1999, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/13 "1999-06-29T21:14:00Z")
tracer, I do think you should start a thread based on this topic in Great Debates. Or, maybe I’ll finally get it together and start the thread myself, although I want to check some references first. Hint: I’m going to disagree with you. 😉 * * * “I wept because I had no shoes, then I met a man with no feet. So I took his shoes” - Dave Barry ---
**Author:** ![bwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@bwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bwo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 1999, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/14 "1999-08-07T05:51:00Z")
Since nitpicking is a Canadian specialty, I should point out that the Canadian dollar coin’s familiar name is spelled “loonie”. About 5 years ago, a two dollar coin was introduced, and immediately gained the horrible moniker: “twonie”. Of the several alternatives suggested, my personal favorite was: “One US Dollar”. Perhaps the US should forget the SBA debacle and issue a two dollar coin. With old Jefferson rarely seeing daylight, the issue of yanking the equivalent paper would be moot. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 1999, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/15 "1999-08-07T22:57:00Z")
Bwo spells it “twonie”, but I’ve always seen it spelled “toonie”. (Yes, that makes one of each be called “loonie toonie”, a fairly widespread opinion about our government.) But what I really wanted to mention is that a toonie, even though it is round, has ten alternating sections of milled and plain edge around the rim. ## Old Canadian nickels were polygonal too, but I don’t have one at hand, and don’t know how many sides they had or when they were discontinued. Bob the Random Expert “If we don’t have the answer, we’ll make one up.” ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/16 "1999-08-10T00:37:00Z")
And now, the new Sacajaweia [sp?] dollar coin the U.S. is gonna introduce will be the SAME size as the Susan B. Anthony dollar was, AND round, AND with a reeded edge just like the SBA dollar had. Aside from the brass color, we’re gonna be repeating every mistage we ever made with the Susan B. coin in the first place. Almost makes you think they have mysogynists working in the mint. ---
**Author:** ![cgleason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@cgleason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgleason)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 1999, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/17 "1999-08-13T20:24:00Z")
The Sacagawea dollar coin will be the same size as the SBA (due to pressure from the coin-operated machine industry), but it’s supposed to have a _smooth_ edge that is _raised_ somehow, so that it will be easier to distinguish from the quarter. See [http://www.usmint.gov](http://www.usmint.gov) for more info. (I’m really bored today!) ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 1999, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/18 "1999-08-13T20:29:00Z")
I dunno… Britain can do it, and no one confuses the pound coin with any other coin. ---
**Author:** ![Aaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Aaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aaron)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/19 "2000-02-20T08:08:00Z")
This is in response to the original question that spawned this topic; what is a thirteen sided polygon called. A thirteen sided polygon is commonly (although not very common) known as a Tridecagon. Although Cecil affectionately named it a Triskaidekagon, based on the word triskaidekaphobia, was quite close to the true name, which is Triskaidecagon. * * * Aaron. ---
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799/20 "2000-02-20T16:03:00Z")
**bwo** > [@](#): > > About 5 years ago, a two dollar coin was introduced, and immediately gained the horrible moniker: “twonie”. Of the several alternatives suggested, my personal favorite was: “One US Dollar”. My personal favourite was “doubloonie” or “dubloonie”. I was kind of hoping people would return to the original pun and start using “dubloons” as the currency of choice in Canada. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/susan-b-anthony-dollar-wasnt-13-sided/799.md?page=2)