(1860) Bronze Token Penn's Treaty

Coin Details

Description

This bronze token from circa 1860 depicts the famous scene of William Penn's Treaty with the Lenape (Delaware) Indians, one of the most iconic images in American colonial history. The scene, immortalized by Benjamin West's 1771 painting, shows Penn meeting with Lenape chiefs under the elm tree at Shackamaxon (present-day Kensington, Philadelphia) in 1682 to negotiate a peaceful coexistence between the Quaker colonists and the indigenous population. The treaty, though never formally written down, was celebrated for generations as an example of honorable dealing between Europeans and Native Americans. Penn's Treaty tokens were produced by several die sinkers in the mid-nineteenth century, capitalizing on the enduring popularity of the subject in American popular culture. The image appeared on everything from banknotes to ceramics to tokens, serving as a symbol of Philadelphia's founding ideals. The bronze composition and circa 1860 date place this piece within the pre-Civil War boom in token production, when die sinkers and medal makers were creating commemorative pieces for the growing collector market. The treaty scene offered a patriotic and morally uplifting subject that appealed broadly to American sensibilities about the nation's founding.

Rarity Notes

Penn Treaty tokens exist in several die varieties and metals. This bronze example is moderately scarce and represents a popular collecting theme in Philadelphia numismatics.

Cross References

PCGS #965190; William Penn Treaty with Lenape 1682; related to Benjamin West painting 1771