Existing comment:
Zachary Taylor Medal
Like the Polk medals from which they were made, few of Taylor's medals were distributed. The silver was one again melted down when President Taylor died in office in 1850.
During the 1840s, as small numbers of peace medals were given to Indian chiefs, they began to attract interest among European and American collectors. A special law passed in 1861 allowed collectors to possess them. From then on newly-minted silver medals were reserved for the Indians, while bronze medals were made for sale to collectors. |