1862 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal. Second Size. Silver. 62 mm. Approximately 1400 grains. Obverse Signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC. Julian IP-39. Very Fine.A lovely medal with fairly smooth wear throughout and no serious damage. Just a few tiny surface marks are noted, including a small bump and a few tiny nicks on the rim. As an obviously awarded medal that was clearly worn proudly for a long time, this piece is remarkably smooth and problem-free. The surfaces are even medium gray with nuances of pale blue and slate. The original silver jump ring is worn but intact, and an old brass-linked chain is affixed. Also included is a small hide bag in which the medal has been stored for many years. This is one of the very rare occasions that one of these prized silver medals can be traced to the original recipient, as it is being sold publicly here for the first time. Our consignor purchased it from her step-father in 1987, and it previously descended through his Blackfeet family since the time of its original award by the Lincoln administration. The family history shared with us with respect to this medal is that it was presented to Chief Three Suns at the signing of the 1855 Treaty with the Blackfeet. Three Suns was a former name of a Piegan chief, Big Nose (a name adopted later in life), who was photographed wearing this medal in 1881. The Piegan were a group within the Blackfeet Confederacy. Three other chief names were provided as being present as well: White Calf, Little Dog and Mountain Chief. We have been able to independently verify that both Mountain Chief and Little Dog were signatories on the 1855 Treaty, though Three Suns and White Calf do not appear. There are two obvious problems with this specific oral history. The first is the missing names of two of the referenced chiefs. Secondly, the medal itself was not struck until 1862 or 1863. While there exists an account of medals being exchanged at the negotiation and signing of the Treaty in 1855, the associated medals would have likely been those of the Pierce administration. The 1855 Treaty with the Blackfeet was the last one ratified by the United States. After this treaty was ratified in 1856, there were two attempts at further treaties with the Blackfeet. One was in 1865, and was meant to be an update and revision of the 1855 Treaty, as some of the 1855 Treaty provisions expired after 10 years. Representatives of the Blackfeet groups met with United States government appointed commissioners on November 16, 1865. According to the book, The Great Blackfoot Treaties, by Hugh A. Dempsey, "Many of the leading chiefs who had signed the 1855 treaty also agreed to the 1865 reduced reservation" placing 1855 signers at the 1865 meeting, the latter being a date more in line with a Lincoln Administration medal. This might explain why two of the family history names were indeed signers of the 1855 Treaty. Little Dog, one of the confirmed 1855 signers, is specifically noted to have been a key spokesperson in the 1865 negotiations, though thus far we have not been able to locate a complete list of indigenous signers of the 1865 Treaty which was never ratified by the United States. Either way, it is most likely that this is the treaty negotiation associated with the present medal. Another attempt at a treaty with the Blackfeet was made in 1868. A sizable delegation met and signed a new treaty on September 1, 1868, which also remained unratified. If medals were distributed at this signing, they would likely have been of a later administration. Regardless of the specific treaty involved, the fact that there is an image of Chief Big Nose wearing this medal is extraordinary. While the image is not clear enough to easily discern the medal itself, close study reveals it to be a second size Lincoln. The chain from which it is suspended is distinctive and an unmistakable match to that still affixed to this medal. And, of course, the identity of the wearer in the image matches the family history.Though not pertinent to this particular medal, it is worth mentioning for the historical record that Three Suns and White Calf were also involved in a February 1887 agreement to surrender much of the remaining land of their people. In 1895, one final land transaction was entered into, and though the tribal representatives are not mentioned in the consulted source, there exists one of the rare silver Benjamin Harrison medals with "Big Nose" engraved on the reverse. However, its important to note that there was also an Oglala Sioux chief, Long Bull, who was sometimes called Big Nose. He was photographed with another chief, Wolf Robe, who is known to have worn a Harrison medal, so it is likely that the Harrison medal should be attributed to the Sioux Chief.It has been published that the dies for the Lincoln medals were finished by July 1862, and that the first large size medals were struck in September. Specific information regarding the second size medals is scarce, but it is believed that 100 had been struck by April 1863. It has further been reported that in 1865 a number of Lincoln medals were melted, but specifics as to how many and of what size they were are unknown. Our (Stacks) October 2006 sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XVI contained an incredible 12 Lincoln Peace medals in silver: seven large size and five of the present format. These have long since been absorbed by the market, and it has been four years since we last handled a second size Lincoln and this is the only one that we are aware of that has a provenance to the original recipient. A very desirable medal from a presidential administration that has captivated historians and collectors perhaps more than any other.Awarded to Piegan Chief Three Suns (Big Nose), likely in November 1865; Descended through his Family to the present consignor.
