1801 Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal. Small Size. Bronzed Copper. 52 mm. Julian IP-4. Specimen-63 (PCGS).An outstanding example of this elusive Indian Peace medal. The dies used to produce this bronze example were originally used to produce the silver shell Indian Peace medals distributed by Lewis and Clark on their historic explorations of the Louisiana Territory. The solid versions, as this one, were not produced until decades later, when they were made for sale to collectors beginning in 1841. The design came in three sizes, this one being the smallest, and also the most elusive. Of interest is that the hand on the right, belonging to a Native American, has a wrist band emblazoned with the image of an eagle, which design element was not used for subsequent Indian Peace medals because the bracelet appeared to some to be a slaves manacle. Original, and likely only, dies for this size. Slightly reflective overall mahogany-brown patina, with a few scattered light contact marks in the fields being the only (slight) detractors. Light die rust noted on the faces of the letters of the obverse legends Surprisingly, the early bronze specimens of this medal turn up at auction even less frequently than the original silver shell examples from the same dies!
