Indian Peace Medal - 1801 Thomas Jefferson Restrike, J-IP-03 AE 76mm NGC MS67BN

Here is an excellent opportunity to acquire a dramatic restrike of the very first Indian Peace Medal (IPM): the 1801 Thomas Jefferson issue. Crafted by iconic engraver John Reich, this medal was the first work he produced in America. Reich later redesigned all of our gold, silver, and copper coinage when he worked as Assistant Engraver to Robert Scot from 1807-1817.

NGC has graded only 8 examples of the Jefferson IPM restrike. Of those, there is a single piece graded MS67BN, with none finer.

Close up photo of bust of Thomas Jefferson by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon that is on exhibit at the Great Hall of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Design of Jefferson Indian Peace medals

John Reich was told to use the French sculptor Houdon's bust of Jefferson as a model for the obverse of the three medals' dies. An original marble version was in the President's private collection, while plaster copies were to be found around Philadelphia. After being told by Chief Coiner John Voigt where he could visit one of the Houdon busts, Reich brought along his sketch book to carefully draw it in profile as the design for his engraving.

The skilled die cutter had a concept for the reverse: "Peace and Friendship." However, he had difficulty coming up with a design to compliment it. Reich went to the library on Fifth Street near Chestnut, just across from State House Square. Leafing through art books, he hoped to find an image to inspire him. One day he picked up Gillaume du Chohl's Discours de la religion des anciens Romains (Discourse on the religion of the ancient Romans), published in 1556. Du Chohl was an antiquarian and numismatist in Lyon famed for having one of the first collections of ancient Greek and Roman coins in France.

This book contained woodcut prints of du Chohl's Roman coins. The numismatic scholar John Cunnally writes, "On page 32, [du Chohl]... thanks the great bibliophile Jean Grolier for a silver coin inscribed fides and showing a pair of clasping hands on both sides." That coin excited Reich. He took out his sketch book to carefully draw his own version of the hands for the reverse dies of the Jefferson Indian Peace medals. Upon one of the clasped hands Reich drew a cuff with three stripes and three buttons, while on the other he sketched a bracelet with a spread eagle upon it. He finished the reverse design by drawing a peace pipe and tomahawk crossed over each other above the hands.