Our medal is a c.1885 copy of the 1757 Treaty of Easton medal, also known as the George II or the Duffield Medal. The Easton medal was the first Indian medal designed and made in America. Originally struck in silver by Philadelphia Quakers, they were distributed during one of the several conferences held at Easton, Pennsylvania between Lenape and other Native American nations and Colonial American officials. Only a few were made at the time and fewer survived into the nineteenth century. To meet later collector interest, the United States Mint struck reproduction medals on the original dies at various times throughout the 1800s. In 1883 they engraved a new die and struck new medals from it starting in 1885. The Old Barracks Museum’s c.1885 medal will help viewers explore the shared imagery and symbolism of Native-Colonial relationships.
