1849 Medal IP-28 Zachary Taylor Bronze

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,600 MS65BN 06-16-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1849 bronze Indian Peace Medal cataloged as Julian IP-28 bears the portrait of President Zachary Taylor and represents a distinct die variety from the IP-29 version. The IP-28 designation in Julian's catalog reflects differences in die characteristics, potentially including variations in the bust detail, letter positioning, or the rendering of Taylor's military bearing in the portrait. The obverse features Taylor's right-facing portrait with presidential inscriptions reflecting his 1849 inauguration. The reverse carries the clasped-hands motif with crossed peace pipe and tomahawk beneath the PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP motto. As with other die varieties within the same presidential administration, the fundamental design remains consistent while the execution details differ between die pairings. Taylor brought a distinctly military perspective to Indian relations, having spent decades on the frontier before entering politics. His experience at Fort Crawford, Fort Snelling, and other remote posts had given him extensive firsthand interaction with Native American nations, and his approach to peace medal distribution reflected this practical background rather than the more idealistic diplomatic traditions of earlier administrations.

Rarity Notes

Bronze duplicate in the IP-28 die variety. Production quantities are not precisely documented but were comparable to other Taylor-era medal variants.

Cross References

Julian IP-28; PCGS #516971