1. Category:
  2. Three-dimensional Objects (856)

Lincoln Indian Peace Medal

Creator:
Salathiel Ellis, Joseph Willson, United States Mint
Location:
Washington, D. C.
Origin Date:
1862
Materials:
metal
Measurements:
overall: 1/2 in x 3 in diameter
Item ID:
71.2009.082.0803
Holding Institution:
Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, courtesy of the Indiana State Museum
Available for Viewing:
No
Category:
Three-dimensional Objects

Description

This copper medallion with a mahogany finish was one of 132 struck in 1864-1865 from the original dies done for the silver medallions that President Abraham Lincoln presented to the Great Chiefs of the Native American Nations as a gesture of peace. The tradition was begun by President George Washington in 1789 and continued by each president through Benjamin Harrison. The obverse features a right-profile bust of President Lincoln in the center. The inscription "Abraham Lincoln. President of the United States" follows the curve of the medallion above the portrait while the date 1862 is below. The sculptor's name is engraved just below Lincoln's right shoulder. The reverse depicts an Indian using a horse with a plow in the foreground and settlers' children playing baseball in the background as the center of the medallion. The border around the central image depicts one Indian scalping another above while a bow and a quiver of arrows are depicted below. See ID numbers 71.2009.082.0802, 0804, and .0805 for more Lincoln Indian peace medals in this collection. For more information about the Lincoln Indian Peace Medals, see Lincoln Lore issue number 1066, September 12, 1949, and the archives file found online at https://archive.org/stream/medalsmedallionslinc_7#page/n15/mode/2up. Part of the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, courtesy of the Indiana State Museum