Back at the end of April, we showed a National Wildlife Refuge Centennial Medal portraying the canvasback duck. Today, let’s take a look at the bald eagle.
The outer box is a sleeve holding the velvet covered clam shell with the silver-colored heraldic eagle on the top. The outer box identifies the contents as United States Mint 2003 National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Medal.
The contents include the outer sleeve, the clam shell, the Certificate of Authenticity and the medal.
Folded to fit inside the clam shell, the Certificate of Authenticity includes a message from Henrietta Holsman Fore, Director of the Mint in 2003.
The certificate shows:
“The United States Mint entered into a partnership agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to produce a series of medals to commemorate the centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Each silver medal has a common obverse depicting President Theodore Roosevelt, the father of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The reverse features a bald eagle, an elk, salmon and canvasback ducks to represent the diversity of the Refuge System. The series also includes a bronze duplicate of the silver bald eagle medal. A portion of the proceeds is authorized to benefit the National Refuge System and its conservation effort. The undersigned hereby certifies this silver commemorative medal as genuine and struck by the Philadelphia Mint in accordance with the United States Mint partnership agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.”
Below the Mint Director’s signature are the specifications for the silver medal:
Date: 2003
Mint: Philadelphia Mint
Condition: Proof
Weight: 26.73 grams
Diameter: 1.500 inches 38.10 mm
Composition: 90% silver, 10% alloy
Another part of the folded certificate includes more information about the four different designs and the mint’s artists.
Norman E. Nemeth was the Mint’s artist for the full length image of President Theodore Roosevelt. His initials, NEN, can be found to the right of the rock.
For the reverse with the bald eagle in flight, the artist’s initials, DW for Donna Weaver, can be found between the tree limbs on the right and the medal’s outer rim.
Though not coins for the numismatic purists, these medals provide beautiful examples of the Mint’s capabilities and artistry with small round discs. But, with their silver content, these medals will continue to hold value with just over 0.77 troy ounce of pure silver.
In other words, if people do not monetarily value the artistry of the collectible, the medal will hold value for its silver content.