Lewis and clark corps of discovery coin set

Lewis and clark corps of discovery coin set free#

The medals are considered as complimentary things, as marks of friendship to those who come to see us, or who do us good offices, conciliatory of their good will towards us, and not designed to produce a contrary disposition towards others. has been an ancient custom from time immemorial. Giving medals and marks of distinction to the Indian chiefs. In 1793, when he was Secretary of State under President Washington, Thomas Jefferson wrote to the American commissioners to Spain in Madrid:

The symbolism of the kingвЂ™s or presidentвЂ™s likeness, and of the images on the reverse, were powerful in themselves, but to recipients without written languages, the representations of words undoubtedly bore the potency of вЂњstrong medicine.вЂќ Yet in the latter regard, American peace medals were far simpler and more direct than contemporary British or Spanish medals. Some Indians tended to believe that a medal was a guarantee of the giverвЂ™s military support against their own native rivals and enemies.

Lewis and clark corps of discovery coin set free#

By far the most important were the gifts called вЂњpeace medals,вЂќ because the giving and the receiving of the token signified an understanding that the parties would maintain peaceable relationships with one another and with their neighbors, in the interest of free and profitable commerce, at least to the foreigners instead of their foreign competitors. For many decades before the American Revolution, the instruments of diplomacy that the rulers of civilized nations had relied on in dealing with the native occupants of the lands they claimed, were gifts of Indian Presentation Flags printed certificates called Indian commissions or paroles clothing such as cloaks, blankets or military dress uniforms engraved silver pipes and silver-headed canes silver gorgets (small decorative breastplates) and medals.