Jefferson – 3 oz Hand-Hammered Silver Medal

Ancient-inspired craftsmanship meets two familiar chapters of American medallic art. This three troy ounce .999 fine silver medal combines a Jefferson portrait drawn from the American nickel with the handshake, pipe, and tomahawk of the Jefferson Indian Peace Medal. A patinated finish brings out the high relief and individually worked surface. Only 500 are minted.

From Pocket Change to Expedition Diplomacy

Jefferson first appeared on the five-cent coin in 1938, replacing the Buffalo nickel. Sculptor Felix Schlag won the design competition that year, giving Americans a portrait that became a familiar part of everyday change. On this medal, that recognizable likeness takes on a very different character through deep relief, radiating lines, and an irregular hand-worked edge.

The reverse reaches further back, to medals used in diplomacy with Native American nations. Lewis and Clark carried Jefferson peace medals on their 1804–1806 expedition to the Pacific. The clasped hands and crossed pipe and tomahawk expressed the stated ideal of peace and friendship. Here, those historical emblems are adapted into a modern collectible rather than a reproduction of an original government-issued medal.

Handcrafted Character

These handcrafted one-of-a-kind works of art employ coin making techniques dating from Ancient Greece to the present. The edges are hand-hammered before the medal is hot struck under high relief dies. Each piece is hand centered by eye while red hot and struck without a retaining collar. The process gives every medal its own outline and surface character.

The combination of an ancient-inspired fabrication method and American coin and medal designs creates the distinctive style of this series. Antiquing enhances the relief and subtleties of the design.

Obverse Design

A deep-relief bust of Jefferson faces left beneath the bold inscription LIBERTY. A radial starburst spreads behind the portrait. The design is undated.

Reverse Design

A pipe and tomahawk cross above two hands joined in a firm handshake, following the imagery of the Jefferson Indian Peace Medal. A numbering banner completes the lower design.

Note to collectors: Being hand fabricated, hot struck, and antiqued, these medals will exhibit some small irregularities that are not considered to be detracting. Great care is taken to ensure there are no glaring inclusions that might diminish eye-appeal while still remaining true to the nature of the fabrication techniques employed.  

Specifications

• Weight: 3.0 troy ounce
• Thickness: varied ~9mm
• Purity: .999 fine
• Edge: Hand Hammered
• Diameter: Varied ~42mm
• Finish: Patina

Explore more designs in our silver round collection.