t
I am able to give an engraving of this, the only well-authenticated
Washington Indian peace medal, although similar ones were given during
his administration to different Indian chiefs, as will be seen from
the following extract from a message addressed by General Knox, then
secretary of War, to the Choctaw nation, and dated Philadelphia,
February, 17, 1792: "Brothers, your father, General Washington, sends
you two great silver medals--you will point out the two great chiefs
who are to receive these marks of distinction."

General Parker says that this medal was made by Dr. Rittenhouse, who
was director of the United States Mint at Philadelphia from 1792 till
1795, that these medals were of three sizes from President Jefferson
to President Fillmore's administration, and that they were given to
Indian chiefs according to their rank. Since then they have been made
of two sizes only.

No. 19. (p. 115)
PLATE XX.

_April 30, 1790._

To Peace and Commerce. [Rx]. The United States of America.

THE DIPLOMATIC MEDAL.

TO PEACE AND COMMERCE. To the left, America, personified as an Indian
queen, seated, facing the right, and holding in her left hand the
cornucopia of abundance (_Peace_), welcomes Mercury (_Commerce_) to
her shores, and with her right calls his attention to her products,
packed ready for transportation. In the background, to the right, the
sea, and a ship under full sail. Exergue: IV JUL. MDCCLXXVI. (_4
Julii, 1776: July 4, 1776_).

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The arms and crest of the United States
of America. Arms: Paleways of thirteen pieces, argent and gules, a
chief, azure. The escutcheon on the breast of the American eagle,
displayed proper, holding in his dexter talon an olive branch, and in
his sinister a bundle of thirteen arrows,[64] all proper, and in his
beak a scroll inscribed with this motto, E PLURIBUS UNUM (_One out of
many_). Crest: Over the head of the eagle, which appears above the
escutcheon: a glory, or, breaking through a cloud, proper, and
surrounding thirteen stars forming a constellation, argent, on an
azure field.[65]

[Footnote 64: The thirteen original States.]

[Footnote 65: See INTRODUCTION, pages x, xxix and
xxx.]

Only two of these Diplomatic medals have thus far been awarded, one to
the Marquis de la Luzerne and the other to the Count de Mo