This milestone pendant coin necklace is an important archival example of Duke Fulco di Verdura's fascination with the natural wonders and artistic freedom of the “New World.” Since childhood, Fulco was enraptured with the history and dress of Native Americans, eventually collecting a rare portfolio of lithographs of the McKenney-Hall History of the Indian Tribes of North America (1837-44), hand-colored plate copies of portraits of Native American chiefs originally executed by Charles Bird King and other artists c. 1821-30.
The $10 gold piece (1907-1933) was designed by America’s top sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The historical relevance of these coins is significant: the portrait of a Native American in full headdress came to be recognized world-wide as a symbol of strength and perseverance.