Commems Collection Modern: What If? 1995 Treaty Of Greene Ville 200th Anniversary

Here's the story of a United States ("US") commemorative coin for an event that was completely new to me - "the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Greene Ville at Fort Greene Ville, Ohio."

Indian Treaty at Greene Ville Painting - Circa 1795

(Image Credit: Chicago History Museum. Public Domain.)

In May 1994, John A. Boehner (R-OH) introduced a Silver Dollar coin bill to commemorate an Ohio event - the Treaty of Greene Ville - to recognize the launch of organized and (mostly) peaceful westward expansion in the United States. The bill called for a 1995-dated Silver Dollar (up to 1 million) to be struck in Proof and Uncirculated versions.

As was standard for the time, Boehner's bill included a "Findings" section to provide historical context and background:

"The Congress finds the following:

"(1) The rapid westward expansion of the United States led to warfare between white settlers and the Native Americans.

"(2) During the early 1790s, British traders in the Northwest Territory encouraged Native Americans to attack frontier settlements.

"(3) After twice defeating United States Army expeditions, the Native Americans in the Northwest Territory were finally defeated in 1794 by General Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.

"(4) On August 3, 1795, 1 year after General Wayne's defeat of the Native Americans at Fallen Timbers, Ohio, General Wayne and the chiefs of the Delaware, Shawnee, Wyandot, Miami Confederacy, and other tribes negotiated the Treaty of Greene Ville.

"(5) In the Treaty, a definite boundary was established between Indian lands and the lands open to settlement, and the defeated tribes surrendered the southern two-thirds of what is now the State of Ohio and the southern part of what is now the State of Indiana and agreed to move west into the northern part of what is now the State of Indiana.

"(6) Because of the Treaty, the British were forced into what is now Canada and their influence over the Native Americans in the region was eliminated.

"(7) The Treaty of Greene Ville provided for the start of westward expansion in the United States.

"(8) In historical importance, the events at Fort Greene Ville rank next to the events at Bunker Hill, Yorktown, Appomattox, and Gettysburg."

The bill did not include much in the way of design specifics, just that the design "shall be emblematic of the Treaty of Greene Ville" and include the legislated US coin inscriptions. The Secretary of the Treasury was to select the final designs for the coin, after consultating with the Treaty of Greene Ville Bicentennial Commission, Incorporated and the Commission of Fine Arts ("CFA"). The Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee.was to serve in a design review capacity.

Note 1: The Treaty of Greene Ville Bicentennial Commission, Incorporated was established in 1990. The Commission was charged with organizing and planning events in recognition of the 200th Anniversary of the 1795 Treaty of Greene Ville.

Note 2: The Treaty of Greene Ville was signed by General Anthony Wayne and Native American chiefs/agents of 13 Native American nations. It ended the Northwest Indian War (1785-1795) between the United States and a regional confederacy of Native American nations.

The Issue Price of each Silver Dollar was to include a surcharge of $5.00. Collected surcharge funds were to be paid to the Treaty of Greene Ville Bicentennial Commission, Incorporated, "for the purpose of building a monument to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Treaty of Greene Ville." (It does not appear that a post-1995 monument was erected.)

Upon its introduction, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs, with a further referral to its Subcommittee on Consumer Credit and Insurance. That was the end of the journey for the bill, as it was not reported out of Committee or considered by the House under a suspension of the rules. (No companion Senate bill was introduced.)

Westward expansion was a seminal event in US history, and one that was realistically unstopable. That said, a commemorative medal might have been the better way to go for this event.


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more What If? stories, see: Commems Collection