Owner Comments:
MEDAL APPEARANCE/CONDITION:
Brilliant Gem+
*Lustrous overall tan-brown surfaces; Sharp exquisite detail bring this piece and "The Royal Gorge" to life while also exhibiting the historic nature of Colorado.*
MEDAL BACKGROUND:
Struck circa 1972 to commemorate the centennial of Cañon City, Colorado. The medal also recognizes The Royal Gorge which is located in Cañon City, the ‘Climate Capital of Colorado’ as indicated on the reverse.
RARITY: Unknown, likely scarce
NGC Census not available.
MEDAL DESCRIPTION:
(Bronze, 39mm, Round, Plain Edge)
OBVERSE:Cañon City - Colorado / Centennial / 1872-1972 / (Depiction of Covered Wagon Pulled by Ox)
REVERSE: Climate Capital of Colorado - The Royal Gorge / (Depiction of the Royal Gorge, Royal Gorge Bridge, Aerial Tramway, and Royal Gorge Railway Below)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
(Cañon City, Colorado):
“The City of Cañon City is the home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Fremont County, Colorado, United States.The city population was 17,141 at the 2020 United States Census. Cañon City is the principal city of the Cañon City, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area and is a part of the Front Range Urban Corridor. Cañon City straddles the easterly flowing Arkansas River and is a popular tourist destination for sightseeing, whitewater rafting, and rock climbing. The city is known for its many public parks, fossil discoveries, Skyline Drive, The Royal Gorge railroad, the Royal Gorge, and extensive natural hiking paths. In 1994, the United States Board on Geographic Names approved adding the tilde to the official name of Cañon City, a change from Canon City as the official name in its decisions of 1906 and 1975. It is one of the few U.S. cities to have the Spanish Ñ in its name, others being La Cañada Flintridge, California; Española, New Mexico; Peñasco, New Mexico; and Peñitas, Texas. — Credited Source: "Active Colorado Municipalities". Colorado Department of Local Affairs.
—————
(The Royal Gorge):
“The Royal Gorge is a canyon of the Arkansas River located west of Cañon City, Colorado. The canyon begins at the mouth of Grape Creek, about 2 mi (3.2 km) west of central Cañon City, and continues in a west-northwesterly direction for approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) until ending near U.S. Route 50. Being one of the deepest canyons in Colorado, it is also known as the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas (River), with a maximum depth of 1,250 ft (380 m). The canyon is also very narrow, measuring from 50 ft (15 m) wide at its base to 300 ft (91 m) wide at its top, as it carves a path through the granite formations below Fremont Peak and YMCA Mountain, which rise above the north and south rims, respectively.”
——-
In 1929 Cañon City authorized the building of the Royal Gorge Bridge, which at 955 feet (291 m) above the river held the record of highest bridge in the world from 1929 to 2001. The bridge is the centerpiece of Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, an amusement park with rides and attractions on both sides of the gorge. The land and bridge are owned by the city and leased to a Dallas-based company called the Royal Gorge Bridge Company which has held the leasing rights since 1947. Another Dallas-based company called Leisure and Recreational Concepts was hired by the Royal Gorge Bridge Company in 1984 to handle daily operations of the park. — The bridge remains the highest bridge in the United States and was among the ten highest bridges in the world until 2012.” — Credited Source: Dexheimer, Eric (1999-04-29). "The Royal Grudge Bridge". Denver Westword, LLC. Archived from the original on 2016-01-20