1817 James Monroe Indian Medal

<h3Value of 1817 James Monroe Indian Peace Medal

This James Monroe medal was designed by Moritz Furst and supervised again by John Vaugh for the Office of Indian Affairs. Furst worked on the dies which were finished by 1819; much earlier than the medals struck for James Madison. The obverse features a bust of Monroe facing to the right. Unlike the previous medal, the draped cloth is missing. The legend around his head reads, “JAMES MONROE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. A.D. 1817; FURST F.” The reverse displays two hands shaking below a peace pipe and tomahawk. The legend reads, “PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP.” The reverse design was a popular one on medals struck between 1809-1849. Unlike previous medals, the right hand lacks the cuff topped with an eagle. John Vaughn, Office of Indian Affairs believed that the cuff was not appropriate on an Indian.