1845 James K. Polk Peace Medal

<h3Value of 1845 James K. Polk Indian Peace Medal

The James Polk medal was created the same way the John Tyler medals were created, with a lathe. John Gadsby Chapman was in charge of creating the obverse design. Within several weeks he had created the wax bust and under Chief Coiner Franklin Peale, all the medals were ordered by July 18, 1846. The obverse of this medal displays a bust of Polk facing to the left. The legend around his head reads, “JAMES K POLK PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 1845.” 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. Sixty large medals were struck but forty-nine medals were eventually melted down.