1850 Millard Fillmore Indian Peace Medal. Silver. First Size. Julian IP-30, Prucha-48. Extremely Fine. 76.0 mm. Approximately 2470.0.4 grains. Pierced for suspension as issued, with a multi-color silk ribbon through what is almost certainly a replacement jump ring that has made the weight difficult to ascertain with certainty. Mostly deep steel gray over both sides with some lighter highlights on the highest points of relief. Both sides are heavily and consistently peppered with tiny marks, but aside from a very small reverse rim nick, the overall aesthetic quality is nicely balanced, and nothing really stands out as distracting. Excellent sharpness also remains throughout the design. The noted ribbon is clearly of some age, and likely of the late 19th century, but it is impossible to know the source.<p>The Fillmore medals mark a notable departure from the long tradition of the American Peace medals in the new reverse design adopted for this issue. While the "Peace and Friendship" theme and the clasped hands motif suggested a degree of equality and mutual respect (at least in the art itself), the design adopted here was clearer as to the true perspectives and intents of the awarding entity. Here, a Euro-American at left addresses a Native American at right, each in their own traditional attire. The man on the left points upward toward three connected rings, each encircling one of the words, LABOR, VIRTUE, HONOR. While it is easy for the presenter to suggest this is intended as helpful or encouraging in some manner, it likewise blatantly clarifies that the presenter deemed the "savage" way of life to be devoid of these qualities, quite incorrectly so. It was during the Fillmore administration that the 1851 Indian Appropriations Act was signed, providing funds for the establishment of Reservations for native peoples. While this was promoted as a way to protect native people from the encroaching settlements, it really was a large-scale effort to effectively corral native people into clearly defined and, presumably, controllable areas.<p>The Fillmore medals were issued in two sizes, and the bullion used for their production was from the substantial number of unused Zachary Taylor medals that were returned to the Mint after Taylors death. According to Prucha, it was expressed that the 162 remaining second-size Taylor medals be used for second-size Fillmore medals, and the remaining bullion was to be used for large-size Fillmore medals. Mint records indicate a total mintage of 281 medals for Fillmore, so if the 162 second-size plan was adhered to, that would leave 119 first-size medals. According to Prucha, there were 25 large-size medals left at the end of the Fillmore administration. If these were indeed Fillmore medals, that would make the net mintage of this size 94 pieces. A similar situation exists for the medium-sized medals, with 40 leftover that would have resulted in a net of 122 issued mediums. There were also five "small medals" which are assumed to be Taylors. While this all lines up fairly well, we have found more large Fillmore medals extant than medium ones, which would be a bit unusual if these mintages and net issuance figures are accurate.<p>However, Carl Carlson found eight auction records for large-size Fillmore medals and specified that this represented five different specimens. He found 12 records for the medium size, and specified "7 or fewer." The present writer has identified 24 different large medals, though at least a couple of them are somewhat suspicious as issued silver originals and they have not been directly examined. From the Ronald A. Slovick Family Collection. Purchased from Kent M. Froseth, December 2001.
