Indian Peace Medal - 1885 Grover Cleveland, J-IP-46 AE Oval NGC MS66

Attractive bronze restrike of Cleveland Indian Peace Medal from 1885. There are two graded NGC MS 66 BN with one finer. Below is the story of the creation of the original IPMs for Grover Cleveland.

There was a great delay in the creation of the Cleveland Indian Peace Medal. Over two years after Cleveland's inauguration, H.L. Muldrow, Acting Secretary of the Interior, wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury: "In pursuance of the practice of the Department in having Indian Peace Medals prepared, bearing the likeness of the respective Presidents of the United States stamped thereon, it is now desired to obtain such a medal bearing the likeness of President Cleveland, to be distributed to deserving Indians when occasion may require it." He requested that the Mint Director have a design created, with the reverse presenting "something allegorical, suggestive of the present condition of the Indian race," and also asked for an estimate of the price of those medals struck in "Silver, Bronze, Gold plate, Silver plate, Nickel plate and Brass."

Poster from Grover Cleveland's presidential campaign (1884).

The Mint in Philadelphia told the Interior Department that "pursuing our usual custom" the Cleveland Indian Peace Medal had previously been crafted and that copies of it were produced in bronze. Francis Paul Prucha writes, "The medal used the bust of Cleveland provided by the engraver Charles E. Barber for the presidential inaugural medal and the reverse from the Garfield and Arthur peace medals." The Mint Superintendent said that it could be struck in bronze for the Indian Office at fifty cents each and in silver for $6.00 each. However, there was no equipment available at the Mint to create brass or plated medals.

In April of 1887 the Interior Department ordered 10 silver and 30 bronze medals at a total price of $75.00, which was paid from the Indian Office's Contingent fund. About a month later, on May 24, 1887, the Interior Department received the medals and sent an invoice to the Indian Office for payment. William F. Vilas, Secretary of the Interior, presented silver and bronze medals to deserving Indians. It was in December of 1888 that he sent a silver Cleveland medal to Big Mane, a Brulé Sioux chief, "in recognition of his intelligence and excellent disposition," as well as 10 bronze medals to be presented by the chief, under the watchful eye of an Indian agent, to well-deserving Indians. The dies of this medal were put into use again in 1896 during Cleveland's second, non-consecutive term in office, when silver IPMs were produced on special occasions to be given to Indians.