1795/08/03 Treaty of Greenville medal
Title
1795/08/03 Treaty of Greenville medal
Date
August 3, 1795
Provenance
This unofficial medal was presented to Tarhe (The Crane) and handed down to his granddaughter. It was purchased by an unknown buyer, donated to the Pennsylvania Historical Society about 1900, and subsequently transferred to the Atwater Kent Museum. See: Prucha, Indian Peace Medals in American History, p. 88, and Fuld, "Washington Oval Peace Medals," in the Gilcrease Museum's Peace Medals: Negotiating Power in Early America (2011), p. 61.
Description
Finely engraved heraldic eagle facing left holding olive branch (proper right claw) and arrows (proper left claw). Reverse-S fluttering ribbon above with inscription E/PLURIBUS/UNUM, the lower portion extending through the open beak of the eagle ending in a curled J shape. Rayed arc between outstretched wings. Tips of wings extend beyond border to edge of medal. No added rim or ring. Shield has 15 vertical stripes. Wide ribbon banner along lower portion with inscription: TREATY of GREENEVILLE 3rd August 1795 Border designs from at least three distinct sets of tools: dot punch, large rayed crescent (inner) and linear punch (middle), wriggling or rocker design (middle), dot punch and small crescent (outer).
"...an oval silver plate engraved with the same design on both the obverse and reverse. The design shows the arms of the United States and is similar to the design on the reverses of the oval Washington medals. A scroll at the bottom is inscribed TREATY of GREENEVILLE 3rd August 1795. The medal presumably belonged to The Crane, a Wyandot chief who was one of the signers of the treaty. It was purchased from his granddaughter late in the nineteenth century and presented to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Since the medal bears the exact date of the treaty, it could not have been presented on that occasion, but must have been engraved at some later time. The medal does not have a rim or ring attachment and has not been pierced for suspension, and there is no documentary evidence to suggest that is was an official medal." [Prucha, Indian Peace Medals in American History, p. 88 and fig. 36.]
Note that there are no stars in the field above the eagle. The form of the E PLURIBUS UNUM ribbon also differs from the Washington medals. Most significant is the fact that the type differs from standard peace medal typology in that both the obverse and reverse bear the same design.
Photographed by Scott Kissel during exhibition at the Miami University Art Museum, 2008.
"...an oval silver plate engraved with the same design on both the obverse and reverse. The design shows the arms of the United States and is similar to the design on the reverses of the oval Washington medals. A scroll at the bottom is inscribed TREATY of GREENEVILLE 3rd August 1795. The medal presumably belonged to The Crane, a Wyandot chief who was one of the signers of the treaty. It was purchased from his granddaughter late in the nineteenth century and presented to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Since the medal bears the exact date of the treaty, it could not have been presented on that occasion, but must have been engraved at some later time. The medal does not have a rim or ring attachment and has not been pierced for suspension, and there is no documentary evidence to suggest that is was an official medal." [Prucha, Indian Peace Medals in American History, p. 88 and fig. 36.]
Note that there are no stars in the field above the eagle. The form of the E PLURIBUS UNUM ribbon also differs from the Washington medals. Most significant is the fact that the type differs from standard peace medal typology in that both the obverse and reverse bear the same design.
Photographed by Scott Kissel during exhibition at the Miami University Art Museum, 2008.
Original Format
commemorative medal (coin silver)
Physical Dimensions
79 x 109 mm
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