Indian Peace Medals
1975 Sovereign Nation of the Osage medal. Silver. As Issued.
Oval. 89.8 x 61.9 mm (not including integral suspension hanger). 3796.4 grains. By Medallic Art Company, and marked MACO 152 on the edge, along with FINE SILVER. Mostly brilliant silver with a brushed antiqued finish. A relatively modern take on the Peace medals of old, copying the shape of several of the final United States types, yet celebrating the Osage as a sovereign nation, led by the Chief, Sylvester J. Tinker, rather than an outside governing entity. Tinker was the Chief of the Osage from 1970 to 1982 and had a private visit with Pope Paul VI in 1975, bringing him a degree of international fame. During this visit, Tinker presented the Pope with an example of this medal in silver, one of 400 said to have been struck in this metal. With his presentation, he is reported as having said to the Pope, “I present this Medal as a symbol of peace and friendship and ask that you pray for all mankind so we may live in harmony. God has given us the land, the sky, the water and all living things. Let us endure and enjoy.”
No recorded provenance.
Estimate: $250