1798 Bronze Medal Season Three, The Home GW-69

Coin Details

Auction Record

$50,400 SP58BN 11-09-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1798 bronze medal GW-69, "Season Three — The Home," is the third in a series of Indian peace medal designs that expanded upon the themes introduced in the 1796 Baker-170/171/172 oval medals. The Season Three design depicts a domestic home scene, continuing the progression from pastoral life through agriculture to settled domesticity that characterized the Washington administration's messaging to Native American leaders. The Julian IP (Indian Peace) classification system, developed by R.W. Julian for his comprehensive catalog of United States medals, provides an alternative numbering to Baker's system for cross-referencing these diplomatic pieces. The "Season" terminology reflects the organizational framework used in the Julian catalog to group the thematic designs into a coherent series representing different aspects of the idealized settled life. The bronze composition of this 1798 striking indicates it is either a contemporary specimen produced for archival or collection purposes, or a later restrike. The original Indian peace medals distributed to Native American leaders were struck in silver, as the precious metal carried diplomatic weight and demonstrated the government's respect for the recipients. Bronze versions served different purposes — they might be presentation pieces for government officials, specimens retained by the Mint, or collector restrikes produced in the nineteenth century when interest in early American medals surged.

Rarity Notes

Bronze composition. The Season Three / Home design in bronze is scarcer than some related designs. Original silver versions are rare; bronze examples may be later productions.

Cross References

Musante-Baker GW-69; PCGS #784578; Indian Peace Medal series