1973 Medal Medallic Art Company California Water Project

Coin Details

Description

This 1973 medal by Medallic Art Company commemorates the California Water Project, one of the largest water conveyance systems in the world. The State Water Project, authorized by California voters in 1960, moves water from the water-rich northern part of the state to the arid but heavily populated south through a system of reservoirs, aqueducts, and pumping stations stretching over 700 miles. The project, managed by the California Department of Water Resources, made possible the agricultural productivity and urban growth that transformed Southern California into one of the world's largest economies. By 1973, major components of the project including the California Aqueduct and Oroville Dam were complete, and this medal commemorates that achievement. Medallic Art Company's California Water Project medal documents one of the most ambitious public works projects in American history, continuing the firm's tradition of commemorating engineering achievements that dates back to the 1917 Catskill Aqueduct medal. Infrastructure medals form a fascinating subcategory of American medal collecting.

Rarity Notes

Medallic Art Co. California Water Project commemorative. Infrastructure and engineering medals are a specialized collecting area. Scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #927165