Owner Comments:
MEDAL APPEARANCE/CONDITION:
Bronze Variety - Choice Uncirculated+
*Unique piece with chocolate brown and tan surfaces; Gorgeous rainbow toning exhibited at the top of obverse/reverse and in various other spots; Unusual for this type bronze specimen, but boasts beauty and rarity, as a result. — Matches its much rarer silver proof counterpart of the same design. Both are included in this collection.*
MEDAL BACKGROUND:
Struck to commemorate the centennial of Custer County in Westcliffe, CO which is also the same year as Colorado's statehood centennial - The reverse displays a poem by Mary E. Martin; “My steps grow quicker when I'm among these mountains. I would like to dance along the tops of trees, touch the new white mountains, be whirled in a wind of sun and snow. Each breath would be as big as the sky, and my arms would embrace this nobility of land'."
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From the “Comprehensive Calendar of Bicentennial Events, September 1976”
The local celebration for Westcliffe, Colorado during the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial/Colorado Centennial was as follows:
- Fair: “Ladies and Bazaar” which focused on “Group Empowerment” for both “Women” and “General.”
Bronze and silver medal sets were issued to commemorate the event. The obverse depicts Custer County as a Centennial Community in Westcliffe, Colorado with associated imagery. The reverse aligns with the event’s primary theme which includes a poem by Mary E. Martin.
- When: Sunday, November 7, 1976 at 1:00 PM
- Sponsor: Custer-County Centennial-Bicentennial Committee
RARITY: Unknown; Likely scarce
**NOTE: The silver proof variety has a number inscribed on the edge in the format of 00000. The silver counterpart in this collection is 00039 which is an extremely low number as indicative of the strike quality. The highest number I have seen on the edge of a silver example is 00118 but uncertain how many were actually issued, as resources on the event are limited.
MEDAL DESCRIPTION:
(Bronze, 39mm, Round, Plain Edge)
OBVERSE: Custer County - A Centennial Community / 1876-1976 / Westcliffe, Colorado / (Associated Colorado Imagery)
REVERSE: My steps grow quicker when I'm among / these mountains. I would like to dance along / the tops of trees, touch the new white / mountains, be whirled in a wind of sun and / snow. Each breath would be as big as the sky, / and my arms would embrace this / nobility of land / -Mary E. Martin / (Seal/Emblem of the Colorado Centennial-Bicentennial Commission) / Outline of the Colorado Flag Behind the Poem)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
(Custer County, Colorado):
“Custer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,704 The county seat is Westcliffe.” — Credited Source: "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
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(Westcliffe, Colorado):
“Westcliffe is a statutory town that is the county seat of Custer County, Colorado, United States. At the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 568, up from 417 in 2000.” — Credited Source: "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Westcliffe town, Colorado". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020.