1757 Treaty of Easton or Quaker Indian Peace Medal. Betts-401. Silver. Extremely Fine, scratches.44.4 mm, 48.0 mm from top of ring to base. 400.9 grains. Overstruck, with the edge device of the Spanish colonial Pillar dollar or 8 reales that served as a planchet. Hanger ring at 12 oclock mounted to purpose-built plinth, a mounting platform engraved into the obverse and reverse dies to serve this exact purpose. Despite having seen most of the extant survivors, we have never seen an example with a suspension mount that is either original or from the era of this medals intended use. This ring appears to be original and not a replacement, making this medal particularly important. It is the only unholed example we have encountered that appears to have been distributed to and worn by a Native American; all other examples are either distributed and holed, or unworn with neither ring nor hole. The devices on both sides show fairly limited wear, but the abuse this medal suffered during its useful life is indicative of distribution for its intended purpose. The surfaces retain luster and freshness, especially at the peripheries, but show many scattered marks of varying sizes and depths. The reverse shows more contact marks and damage than the obverse by a fair margin. Both sides show a range of scratches, ranging from fairly fine pin scratches to more significant incisions. On the obverse, we note a nearly horizontal one from the bases of the letters GI to the bridge of the nose, a vertical one behind the portrait, and a short diagonal one beneath the letters TA in GRATIA. The heaviest scratch on the reverse extends from the rim beneath the letters D in BLESSED through the seated native figure. Another heavy scratch is seen near 6 oclock, between the rim and WHO. Others are present but of lesser impact. The A rim bruise is present at 9 oclock on the obverse, 3 oclock on the reverse. Despite its marks, this piece offers a wealth of positive visual appeal and the look of an object of significant antiquity. The surfaces and their toning suggest no cleaning efforts nor damage within our lifetimes, leaving an object that likely looks much as it did when the last native Pennsylvanian removed this from their chest.<p>The Quaker Indian Peace medal or Treaty of Easton medal is one of the most desirable of all American medals, coined in Philadelphia in 1757 by Joseph Richardson the Elder from dies by Edward Duffield. It was one of the first two American medals ever struck in what became the United States; the Kittanning Destroyed medal produced by the same partnership was the other. The devices are rich with symbolism, from the bust of King George II borrowed from contemporary English silver coins to the intricate and evocative scene on the reverse. Framed by a peripheral inscription reading LET US LOOK TO THE MOST HIGH WHO BLESSED OUR FATHERS WITH PEACE, the central reverse shows a seated Quaker Pennsylvanian (wearing a hat familiar from millions of oatmeal boxes) holding a winged peace pipe aloft, while facing a Native American who sits on the ground on the other side of a fire. The fire was a Council Fire, a symbolic flame kept lit during a meeting or treaty council. It also served to symbolize the relationship between natives and colonists, which could ebb and threaten to go out but return to its full majesty with proper care and fuel. Pennsylvania Quakers hoped to tend to that fire at the various meetings at Easton that led to the Treaty of Easton, signed in 1758. The Natives security depended upon the Pennsylvanians, and the Quaker merchants of Philadelphia sought to keep the commercial relationship with the Natives alive, to say nothing of their scruples against armed conflict. This medal was produced to recognize and deepen that bond.<p>Weve sold just two of these since the 2006 Ford sale. One, a high grade unawarded piece, brought $103,500 in our sale of September 2009. The other, a well worn PCGS VG-8 example from the Richard August Collection, brought $38,400 in our March 2025 auction. We know of 15 silver original examples, just nine of which are in private hands. This is the only one of those with its original suspension loop and the only awarded example that is unholed. Its superb condition, while still showing the trappings of a presented medal, makes it stand out among all survivors.<p>As the earliest American-made medal for Native Americans and one of just two American made medals struck before the end of the French and Indian War, the Quaker Indian Peace medal will always be an outstanding rarity and a collection centerpiece. This examples character and look make it among the most desirable weve ever handled.<p>A Certificate of Authenticity from Early American History Auctions and a custom-made Capital Plastics holder and box for this medal are included with this lot. <em><strong>The supporting items are available to the winning bidder upon request to Stacks Bowers Galleries at the close of the auction</strong></em>.From Early American History Auctions, Inc.s sale of May 2022, lot 320.
