1935 Medal Pony Express Copper-Ni 32mm Diamond Jubilee

Coin Details

Description

The 1935 Pony Express Diamond Jubilee copper-nickel medal at 32mm commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Pony Express, the legendary mail delivery service that operated from April 3, 1860 to October 24, 1861 between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. Despite lasting only eighteen months before being rendered obsolete by the transcontinental telegraph, the Pony Express became one of the most romanticized institutions of the American West, its riders symbolizing courage, endurance, and the conquest of continental distances. The copper-nickel composition and 32mm diameter give this medal the approximate look and feel of a circulating American coin, making it a natural pocket piece or keepsake. The 1935 Diamond Jubilee celebrations were organized by communities along the original Pony Express route, including St. Joseph, which had served as the eastern terminus. The obverse features a mounted Pony Express rider at full gallop, the iconic image that has appeared on countless stamps, coins, and medals commemorating the service. The Pony Express employed approximately eighty riders, used between 400 and 500 horses, and maintained approximately 190 relay stations across nearly 2,000 miles of plains, deserts, and mountains. A letter could travel the full route in about ten days — an astonishing achievement for the era. The service was a commercial failure for its operators, Russell, Majors and Waddell, who went bankrupt, but its brief existence created an enduring legend that the 75th anniversary medal both celebrates and perpetuates.

Rarity Notes

Diamond Jubilee medals were produced for the 1935 anniversary celebrations along the Pony Express route. Copper-nickel composition indicates moderate production quantities. Pony Express memorabilia is actively collected.

Cross References

PCGS #837353; Pony Express Diamond Jubilee 1860-1935