ClipArt ETC
An old coin, with a man's head on one face, and a man harvesting grain on the other.

Ancient coin

An old coin, with a man's head on one face, and a man harvesting grain on the other.

"A sickle; a scythe; a pruning knife or pruning hook; a bill; a falchion; a halbert. As culter denoted a knife with one straight edge, falx signified any simpiliar instrument the single edge of which was curved. By additional epithets the various uses of the falx were indicted. Thus the sickle, because it was used by reapers, was called falx messoria; the scythe, which was employed in mowing hay, was called falx famaria. A rare coin published by Pellerin, shows the head of one of the Lagida, kings of Egypt, wearing the Diadema, and, on the reverse, a man cutting down corn with a sickle. The lower figure is taken from the MSS. of Columelia, and represents a falx vinitoria, or pruning knife of a vinedresser." — Smith, 1873.

Falx

"A sickle; a scythe; a pruning knife or pruning hook; a bill; a falchion; a halbert. As culter denoted…

"The garb and sickle, the badge of the Hungerfolds, is another very beautiful and less common example a badge." — Chambers' Encyclopedia, 1875

Garb and Sickle

"The garb and sickle, the badge of the Hungerfolds, is another very beautiful and less common example…

"The Little Red Hen" cutting wheat to make bread.

Hen

"The Little Red Hen" cutting wheat to make bread.

The Great Seal of the State of Nevada. The seal shows wheat, a sickle, and a plow representing agriculture. It also shows sunshine, mountains and the state motto, "All for Our Country."

Seal of Nevada

The Great Seal of the State of Nevada. The seal shows wheat, a sickle, and a plow representing agriculture.…

A man reaping grain with a sickle.

Reaping

A man reaping grain with a sickle.

Men and women reap the grain from a field in the 14th century. Two women are bent over using sickles to cut the grain. One man stands behind them, gathering the reaped grain. He has a sickle tucked in his belt. A second man oversees the scene with his hands on his hips. A bundle of grain sits in the background. The original image is pictured in an old psalter.

Reaping Grain the 14th Century

Men and women reap the grain from a field in the 14th century. Two women are bent over using sickles…

"A reaping hook; a curved blade of steel (anciently also of bronze) having the edge on the inner side of the curve, with a short handle or haft, for cutting with the right hand grain or grass which is grasped by the left." &mdash;Whitney, 1889 <p>This sickle has a serrated edge on the inside curve of the blade.

Sickle with Serrated Edge

"A reaping hook; a curved blade of steel (anciently also of bronze) having the edge on the inner side…