1970-P Bronze Medal D1970-1b, Wichita Centennial

Coin Details

Description

Swoger catalog number D1970-1b. This bronze medal was struck at the United States Mint in Philadelphia to commemorate the centennial of Wichita, Kansas. Founded as a trading post on the Arkansas River and incorporated in 1870, Wichita grew rapidly as a cattle town on the Chisholm Trail during the 1870s. The city's transformation began in the early 20th century when aviation pioneers chose the flat Kansas prairies as ideal sites for aircraft manufacturing. Companies including Cessna, Beech, and Stearman (later Boeing Wichita) established factories that made the city a global center of aircraft production, particularly during World War II when Wichita plants produced thousands of B-29 Superfortress bombers. The Swoger catalog (D-series), compiled by Tom Swoger, documents modern U.S. Mint commemorative medals from 1956 onward. This bronze medal is the base-metal companion to the silver version.

Rarity Notes

Bronze composition Wichita centennial medal. Standard issue produced for public sale. Exact mintage not separately reported.

Cross References

PCGS #938396; Swoger D1970-1b