(1829) Bronze Medal J-IP-16, 51mm Andrew Jackson

Coin Details

Auction Record

$11,400 VF25 03-15-2021 Kagin's

Description

This 51mm bronze Indian Peace Medal depicts Andrew Jackson and is cataloged as Julian IP-16. The 51mm diameter indicates a medium-format medal in the hierarchical size system used for peace medal distribution. Peace medals were typically produced in three sizes — large (76mm), medium (51mm), and small (approximately 38mm) — with the size presented to a tribal leader corresponding to his rank and political importance within his nation. Medium-format medals like this IP-16 were typically given to secondary chiefs, war leaders, or other prominent tribal figures who held significant but not paramount authority within their communities. The distribution of medals by size was a deliberate diplomatic strategy, as it both honored the recipient and reinforced existing hierarchical structures within tribal governance that the United States government found useful to maintain. Jackson's peace medals were produced and distributed during one of the most active periods of treaty-making in American history. Between 1829 and 1837, the Jackson administration negotiated dozens of treaties with Native American nations, the vast majority resulting in land cessions and westward relocation. Peace medals given during these negotiations carried the full weight of presidential authority and served as physical tokens of the agreements — and broken promises — that defined the era.

Rarity Notes

Bronze 51mm format — the medium size in the three-tier peace medal system. Medium-format peace medals are scarcer than the large format, as fewer were typically struck.

Cross References

Julian IP-16; PCGS #780691