In my eBay pillage earlier this week, I set my focus on 1970’s silver art bars.

eBay did not disappoint.

^{Original ladies of ssg. ☺️}

Today’s bar celebrates US women earning the right to vote thanks to the 19th amendment to the US Constitution. The 19th amendment prohibits federal and state governments from denying US citizens the right to vote based on sex. This amendment was adopted into law on AUGUST 18th, 1920.

Depending on your age, 1920 may or may not sound like a long time ago, but think about this hard - especially if you are a woman. Less than 100 years ago in a country that prides itself on freedom and setting an example of democracy... you would not have been afforded a voice in our government. This isn’t some distant past.

This is also why it frustrates me to NO END when people do not use this right.

^{A long agitation was finally culminated in the enactment of the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote.}

“Fun” fact: Though ratification of the 19th amendment was adopted nationally in 1920 (thus allowing women the vote) the last state to officially ratify the amendment was Mississippi.

IN 1984!!!

😐

The road to vote was fought over decades. Through books, conventions, legal battles, arrests and protest women demanded equality. Slowly, and thanks to the determination of thousands upon thousands of suffragettes, laws granting women voting rights began to pass on a state by state basis.

And so many people today balk at protesters.... 🙄

So have I lost most of #ssg by now?

🙋🏻‍♀️

Let’s talk about the BAR.

This .999 1 Troy Oz silver was produced by the Hamilton Mint in 1974. It is part of a fifty bar set celebrating America’s Greatest Events. Only 10,000 of these bars were ever minted. Each is stamped along the edge with a serial number.

^{No. 4892.}

The front of the bar features the profile of Susan B. Anthony, one of the nation’s earliest and most famous advocates for women’s rights. She is surrounded by other 19th century women making calls and waving flags for the cause. The word VOTE can be seen faintly under the women on the bar’s right side.

The other side of the bar includes the mint’s name and year. There is also a short description of the bar’s historical significance. The first flag of the United States is seen on the bar’s left and a Saturn V rocket is depicted on the right.

Women today still fight to be heard, to be believed, to make choices about their healthcare, to feel safe, to be paid equally in the workplace and to be represented in equal numbers across business and political arenas. This bar is a nice reminder to keep up the work even when the struggle is hard, or when the universe seems to be back stepping on progress. Giving up is not an option.