James Madison

President George Washington began the practice of presenting peace medals to Indian chiefs on such important occasions as the signing of a treaty or a visit to the capital. By the time of Madison’s presidency, the Indians considered the medals an essential part of negotiations. In May 1812, John Mason, head of the Office of Indian Trade, ordered new Madison medals after learning that several chiefs would be visiting Washington. He did not want to give them leftover hollow Jefferson medals, knowing they preferred the solid ones the British gave out. Mason engaged John Reich, assistant to the chief coiner at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, to cut the dies and strike the medals. Finally, on December 17, 1814, twelve silver medals of three different sizes arrived in Washington. The largest, pictured here, was given to the most important Indian chiefs.