U.S. MINT COPPER-BRONZEDÂ ZACHARY TAYLOR /Â INDIAN PEACE & FRIENDSHIP MEDAL - LARGEST SIZE WITH HIGH RELIEF
1849 ORIGINAL ISSUE WITH PRESIDENT TAYLOR OBVERSE
POST 1846 NINETEENTH CENTURY STRIKE SECOND REVERSE DIES OF 1846 PATTERN WITH "FLAT" TOPPED A'S IN LEGENDS
RICH DARK CHESTNUT BROWN COLOR
OBV: DETAILED HIGH COLLARED TALL BUST OF PRESIDENT ZACHARY TAYLOR.
REV: CLASPED HANDS, UNIFORMED LEFT, BARE RIGHT; CROSSED TOMAHAWK AND PEACE PIPE ABOVE; LEGEND "PEACE AND FRIENDHIP"
INDIAN PEACE MEDALS WERE GIVEN BY U.S. GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES TO NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBAL LEADERS AS A SIGN OF FRIENDSHIP, GOOD FAITH AND GOOD RELATIONS ESTABLISHED BY TREATY OR THE EXPLANATION OF UNITED STATES SOVEREIGNITY.
THE MEDALS CAME IN THREE SIZES, MADE OF SILVER, AND WERE PRESENTED TO TRIBAL LEADERS. THEY BECAME SYMBOLS OF POWER AMONGÂ MANY TRIBES. LEWIS & CLARK CARRIED SUCH PEACE MEDALS ON THEIR JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY. THE MEDALSÂ BECAME SO POPULAR THAT PRIVATE COMPANIES THAT DEALT WITH INDIAN TRIBES HAD THEIR OWN MEDALS STRUCK.
THE OFFICIAL U.S. MEDALS BEARING THE PORTRAIT OF THE CURRENT PRESIDENT CONTINUED TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO TRIBAL REPRESENTATIVESÂ UNTIL THE END OF PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON'S TERM IN 1869.
A NEW REVERSE DIE WAS ALSO USED TO REPLACE THE WORN FIRST DIE BEGINNING IN 1846. THEÂ POSITION THE FINGERS ARE POINTING TO ON THE REVERSE IDENTIFY THISÂ MEDAL AS A SECOND DIE STRIKE.
ZACHARY TAYLOR, "OLD ROUGH & READY", Â WAS THE 12th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (1849-1850), AND HAD HAD A CAREER IN THE ARMY FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
 HE DIED 16 MONTHS INTO OFFICE (THE THIRD SHORTEST SERVING PRESIDENT), AND CONSPRACY THEORIES CONTINUE TO ABOUND AS TO WHETHER HE WAS POISONED.
WEIGHSÂ 243 GRAMS
77 MM IN DIAMETER
OBVERSE DESIGNER HENRY KIRK BROWN
REVERSE DESIGNER JOHN REICH
PHILADELPHIA MINT
