1967-P Medal D1967-3a, Platinum Alaska Purchase Centennial

Coin Details

Description

Swoger catalog number D1967-3a. This platinum medal was struck at the United States Mint in Philadelphia to commemorate the centennial of the Alaska Purchase. On March 30, 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Imperial Russia for $7.2 million — approximately two cents per acre. Initially ridiculed as "Seward's Folly" and "Seward's Icebox," the acquisition proved enormously valuable following the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896-1899 and the subsequent discovery of vast oil, timber, and mineral resources. Alaska was governed as a territory for nearly a century before achieving statehood on January 3, 1959, as the 49th state. The platinum composition makes this the most prestigious and rarest variant in the D1967-3 Alaska Purchase series. The Swoger catalog (D-series), compiled by Tom Swoger, documents modern U.S. Mint commemorative medals from 1956 onward.

Rarity Notes

Platinum composition — the rarest and most valuable metal variant in the Alaska Purchase centennial series. Extremely limited production. Exact mintage not separately reported.

Cross References

PCGS #75995; Swoger D1967-3a