(1885) Bronzed-Copper Medal J-IP-46, Grover Cleveland

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,520 MS66BN 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

The circa 1885 bronzed copper Indian Peace Medal cataloged as Julian IP-46 bears the portrait of President Grover Cleveland, who served two non-consecutive terms as the 22nd and 24th president. This medal corresponds to his first term beginning in 1885. Cleveland's first administration coincided with the passage of the Dawes General Allotment Act of 1887, which fundamentally transformed the relationship between the federal government and Native American nations by breaking up communal tribal lands into individual parcels. The obverse features a right-facing bust of Cleveland with the inscription GROVER CLEVELAND PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. A.D. 1885, rendered in the bronzed copper finish. The reverse carries the peace medal design. The bronzed treatment provides the darker, lustrous surface characteristic of premium Mint productions. Cleveland's first term saw the Dawes Act implemented across dozens of reservations, with the peace medal tradition continuing even as the policy represented a fundamental assault on tribal sovereignty and communal land tenure. The Act eventually resulted in the loss of approximately 90 million acres of Native American land through the "surplus" provisions that opened allotted reservation lands to white settlement.

Rarity Notes

Bronzed copper finish produced in limited quantities. Cleveland's first term saw moderate medal distribution during a transformative period in Indian policy.

Cross References

Julian IP-46; PCGS #619159