1862 Lincoln Indian Peace Medal US Mint Bronze - Abraham Lincoln 1862 Indian Peace Medal, US Mint Bronze NIB

This listing is for the 1862 Lincoln Indian Peace Medal US Mint Bronze. The obverse features a right-facing bust portrait of President Abraham Lincoln, showcasing his distinct beard and draped attire in crisp high relief. Encircling the portrait is the capital legend reading Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, with the historic year 1862 situated directly at the bottom base alongside the signature of designer Salathiel Ellis. In contrast, the reverse, originally engraved by Joseph Willson, contains a detailed dual narrative. The central circular vignette depicts a Native American chief guiding a horse-drawn plow through a field, with children playing in front of a schoolhouse and a church in the background. Surrounding this peaceful motif is an outer border that includes a graphic of a warrior preparing to scalp an adversary on the upper edge, balanced on the lower half by a quiver of arrows, a crossed bow and peace pipe, and the closed-eye head of a Native American princess at the bottom center. Dating back to the earliest days of the American Republic, Indian Peace Medals were vital diplomatic tools commissioned by the federal government. Carried by figures like Lewis and Clark and issued by successive administrations, these medals were presented to Native American chiefs and tribal leaders during crucial treaty signings and diplomatic missions to signify peace, friendship, and formal allegiance with the United States. The first silver Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medals were struck in September 1862. Because the Lincoln administration was heavily occupied with the escalating American Civil War, relatively few original silver medals were actually distributed to tribal entities, making the design exceptionally notable. This piece is a heavy, solid bronze official U.S. Mint restrike, produced using the original historical dies to allow collectors to own a piece of this profound diplomatic legacy. Interesting Find!!!

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1862 Lincoln Indian Peace Medal US Mint Bronze - Abraham Lincoln 1862 Indian Peace Medal, US Mint Bronze NIB