Owner Comments:
MEDAL APPEARANCE/CONDITION:
TOP POP: Bronze Variety - Choice Uncirculated/High-Relief — Pedigreed #0550 (Engraved on edge of medal but not noted on NGC label; 5’s in “0550” appear to have been struck backwards)
(Slabbed in Oversized Holder)
*A stunning example of this large, heavy 51mm issue. It’s choice bronze surfaces are incredibly well struck. Minor abrasions can be seen throughout the example which give credence to the grade. — However, it would seem both high-relief and larger issues are often challenging to obtain in grades higher MS grades. Presumably due to the fact high points are more likely to sustain marks/dings, as well as the overall surface area being much larger. — The medal is engraved “0550” on the edge, yet surprisingly, the 5’s were struck backwards. The 0’s likely were as well; however, unnoticeable due to them appearing the same forward and backward. Not only is this an extremely low serial number (55), but the backwards 5’s is an error worth noting; making this piece all the more rare and unique. — This example currently resides at the top of NGC’s population report.*
MEDAL BACKGROUND:
Struck by the Medallic Art Company, N.Y., to commemorate the “Cog Wheel Route” in Manitou Springs, Colorado which climbs Pike’s Peak mountain on a 8.9 mile, 3.5 hour round trip. The railway is still in operation and now officially called “The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway” which celebrated its 130th anniversary with a grand reopening in 2021.
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The Cog has been climbing Pikes Peak since 1891. Recognized as the world’s highest cog railroad, The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway is an important part of the heritage of the Western United States. “Taking this journey is like walking the footsteps of history.” — Credited Source: The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway Pike’s Peak | cograilway.com
RARITY: Unknown; Likely rare (I have never encountered another example)
(*TOP POP* NGC Pop = 1; NONE Finer - NGC Total Pop = 1) [09/2022]
**Only example graded by NGC**
MEDAL DESCRIPTION:
(Medallic Art Company, N.Y., Bronze, 51mm, Round, Plain/Engraved Edge)
OBVERSE: 1891 / (Image of of original cog railway descending Pike’s Peak)
REVERSE: Manitou and Pikes Peak / (Depiction of modern cog railway ascending Pike’s Peak) / Cog Wheel Route
EDGE: MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. — 0550 (5’s struck backwards)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
(Pike’s Peak Cog Railway):
“The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway (also known as the Pikes Peak Cog Railway) is a cog railway that climbs one of the most iconic mountains in the United States, Pikes Peak in Colorado. The base station is in Manitou Springs, near Colorado Springs.
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Construction on the line was started in 1889 and the first train reached the summit on June 30, 1891. Cog railways are common in Switzerland and found in other parts of the world (totaling about 50 lines), but this is one of only three such lines remaining in the United States, the other being the older Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire, and the short Quincy and Torch Lake Cog Railway.
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Originally powered by steam locomotives, the line later switched over to diesel-powered locomotives and self-propelled railcars. The railway was closed between October 29, 2017 and May 20, 2021, for a complete refurbishment that saw the replacement of the track infrastructure, the rebuild of older railcars and the purchase of three new trainsets.”
Credited Source: Rose, Alan (June 16, 2021). "Adventures with Alan takes a ride on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway". KOAA-TV.