1932 Medal Buffalo Centennial Gilt-Ae

Coin Details

Description

The 1932 Buffalo Centennial gilt bronze medal commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of Buffalo, New York, which was incorporated as a city in 1832. Located at the eastern terminus of the Erie Canal and the western end of Lake Erie, Buffalo grew into one of America's great industrial cities during the nineteenth century, its grain elevators, steel mills, and manufacturing plants making it a powerhouse of the national economy. The gilt bronze composition gives the medal a golden appearance befitting a centennial celebration, while keeping costs accessible for wide distribution. The obverse features Buffalo's city seal or a depiction of its signature landmarks, while the reverse carries centennial inscriptions spanning the century from 1832 to 1932. By 1932, however, Buffalo was already experiencing the economic decline that would accelerate through the remainder of the twentieth century, as the Depression devastated its industrial base. Buffalo's centennial celebrations in 1932 looked back on a remarkable century of achievement. The city had hosted the Pan-American Exposition in 1901, been a pioneer in the use of alternating-current electrical power transmitted from Niagara Falls, and served as a major gateway for European immigration through its position on the Great Lakes shipping routes. The centennial medal captures Buffalo at a moment of transition between its industrial golden age and the long decline that would transform it from one of America's largest and most prosperous cities into a symbol of the Rust Belt.

Rarity Notes

Centennial medals for major American cities were typically produced in moderate quantities for civic distribution. The gilt bronze composition indicates a mid-tier commemorative piece.

Cross References

PCGS #924773; Buffalo, New York Centennial 1832-1932