1947 Medal Thomas A. Edison Centennial Copper-Ni-Zn

Coin Details

Description

The 1947 Thomas A. Edison Centennial copper-nickel-zinc medal commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), America's most prolific inventor. Born in Milan, Ohio on February 11, 1847, Edison accumulated 1,093 U.S. patents during his lifetime — a record that stood for decades. His inventions, including the phonograph, the practical incandescent light bulb, the motion picture camera, and the alkaline storage battery, fundamentally transformed modern civilization. The copper-nickel-zinc composition (sometimes called "German silver" or "nickel silver") gives this medal a bright silvery appearance without the cost of actual silver. The centennial celebrations in 1947 included events at Edison's laboratory complex in West Orange, New Jersey, which had been designated as a national monument. The medal's design features Edison's portrait and references to his most significant inventions. Edison's centennial fell during the early postwar period, when American technological supremacy seemed both self-evident and limitless. His legacy was particularly relevant to a generation that had witnessed the application of electrical and electronic technology to win the war — radar, radio communications, and mass production techniques all descended from Edison-era innovations. The centennial celebrations presented Edison as the archetypal American inventor, a self-educated genius whose persistence and practical ingenuity transformed ideas into world-changing products.

Rarity Notes

Edison centennial medals were produced in moderate quantities for the 1947 celebration. Copper-nickel-zinc composition indicates a mid-tier commemorative intended for broad distribution.

Cross References

PCGS #892460; Thomas Edison Centennial 1847-1947