1798 Medal J-IP-51, GW-67 Copper Season One, The Shepherd

Coin Details

Auction Record

$30,000 SP61BN 11-09-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1798 medal J-IP-51 / GW-67 in copper, "Season One — The Shepherd," is a copper striking of the first design in the expanded Season series of Indian peace medals. This piece carries dual catalog numbers — Julian IP-51 in R.W. Julian's medal classification and Musante-Baker GW-67 in the Washington medal reference — reflecting the overlapping cataloging systems that scholars have developed for early American diplomatic medals. Season One depicts the shepherd theme that was first introduced in the 1796 Baker-170 oval medal, here rendered in a revised format for the 1798 production. The shepherd imagery represented the pastoral ideal that the Washington administration promoted as part of its vision for Native American communities — a transition from hunting and gathering to animal husbandry as a first step toward settled agricultural life. The copper composition distinguishes this piece from the silver originals intended for diplomatic presentation. Copper strikings of Indian peace medals were typically produced as trial pieces, die trials, or later collector specimens. The warm reddish tone of copper provides a distinctive appearance different from both the bright silver of diplomatic originals and the darker brown of bronze versions. The dual Julian and Musante-Baker cataloging reflects the piece's importance in both the broader U.S. medals series and the specialized field of Washingtoniana.

Rarity Notes

Copper striking. Less common than silver or bronze versions. Julian IP-51 / GW-67 cross-referenced in multiple catalog systems.

Cross References

Julian IP-51; Musante-Baker GW-67; PCGS #784573