(1829) Bronzed-Copper Medal J-IP-15, Andrew Jackson

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,175 AU50 03-29-2017 Stack's Bowers

Description

This bronzed copper Indian Peace Medal bears the portrait of Andrew Jackson, the seventh President, cataloged as Julian IP-15. Jackson's presidency (1829-1837) represents the most consequential — and most controversial — era in the history of Indian Peace Medals. The same president whose likeness appeared on medals distributed as tokens of peace and friendship also signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which authorized the forced relocation of southeastern tribes along what became known as the Trail of Tears. The contradiction between the peace medal's symbolism and Jackson's actual policies toward Native Americans makes these medals among the most historically complex objects in American numismatics. Jackson had extensive personal experience with Native American nations, having fought against the Creek Nation at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814 and negotiated numerous treaties as a military commander before entering politics. His peace medals were distributed even as his administration pursued the systematic removal of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole nations from their ancestral lands. The Julian IP-15 variety in bronzed copper preserves Jackson's portrait for collectors. The obverse shows Jackson in military bearing, reflecting his identity as a frontier general. The reverse maintains the traditional clasped-hands peace imagery, creating a visual dissonance with the actual trajectory of his Indian policies.

Rarity Notes

Bronzed copper striking of Julian IP-15 dies. Jackson peace medals are historically significant as artifacts of the Indian Removal era and the Trail of Tears.

Cross References

Julian IP-15; PCGS #535848