(1974) Medal U.S. Customhouse Bronze Boston, MA

Coin Details

Description

This bronze medal from 1974 depicts the United States Customhouse in Boston, Massachusetts, part of a series honoring historic federal customhouse buildings across the country. The Boston Customhouse, constructed in 1847 in the Greek Revival style with massive granite columns, was one of the most imposing federal buildings in antebellum America. Its iconic tower, added in 1915, was the tallest building in Boston for decades. Customhouses played a vital role in American commerce, collecting tariff duties that provided the majority of federal revenue before the income tax. The Boston Customhouse processed imports from one of the busiest ports in the nation, handling goods from the China trade, the East Indies, and European markets. This 1974 medal series documented these architecturally significant federal buildings at a time when many were being repurposed or threatened with demolition, serving both as numismatic collectibles and as advocacy for historic preservation of important American commercial architecture.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Part of the 1974 U.S. Customhouse medal series. Bronze. Limited production across the series.

Cross References

PCGS #917170; U.S. Customhouse Boston, MA; Federal Architecture Series 1974