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Historic
First Coins Issued by Native Americans
The United
States has issued many coins featuring native American Indians,
ranging from the famous Indian Head Cent (1858-1909) to the
Indian Ten Dollar Gold Piece (1907-1933) … the Oregon Trail
Memorial Half Dollar (1926-1939) to the Buffalo Silver Dollar
(2001) commemoratives. Now the Indians have turned the tables
… and have issued their own coins. The Sovereign Nation
of the Shawnee Tribe (Oklahoma), recognized by the United States
under the Shawnee Tribe Status Act of 2000, has authorized these
historic first coins.
The Shawnee
hero - Chief Tecumseh - is featured on these Silver Dollars.
The coat of arms on the reverse contains 12 stars, representing
the original 12 tribes of the Shawnee Indian Nation; the four
tribes that survived were known to the white settlers as Mequachake,
Chillicothe, Kiskapoke and the Piqua.
These
1 oz. pure silver, 39 mm. Silver Dollars are available at
the official issue prices of $19.95 for Brilliant Uncirculated
coins (limited to 50,000) and $39.95 for Proof pieces (limited
to 20,000). Orders should be sent to the official distributor
PandaAmerica, 3460 Torrance Blvd., Suite 100, Torrance, CA
90503; telephone (800) 472-6327; e-mail info@pandaamerica.com.
Click
here to shop online.
Tecumseh
(1768 - 1813) was a Shawnee warrior chief who with his brother,
the Shawnee Prophet, attempted to stop the advance of white
settlement in the Old Northwest. On the night when Tecumseh
was born, there was an incredible meteor shower. The elders
in the tribe took this to be an omen, and pronounced that
this baby would go on to be a great leader, which he did.
Chief Tecumseh would always be introduced at tribal councils
as "Born under the sign of the Shooting Star."
Tecumseh
believed that Indians must return to a state of purity, that
they must forget intertribal rivalries and confederate, and
that individual tribes must not sell land that all Indians
held in common. He also gave this version of the Golden Rule:
"Trouble no one about his religion ... respect others
in their views and demand that they respect yours..."
In 1809 tribes in the Indiana Territory ceded much of their
land to the United States. Tecumseh protested to Gov. William
Henry Harrison but in vain. He later joined the British against
the Americans in the War of 1812. As a brigadier general,
Tecumseh led 2,000 warriors. He fought at Frenchtown, Raisin
River, Fort Meigs, and Fort Stephenson. His last battle was
the Battle of the Thames at Chatham, Ontario, where, clothed
in Indian deerskin garments, he was killed leading his warriors.
Prepared
by Mel Wacks
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