(1974) Medal U.S. Customhouse Silver Wheeling, WV

Coin Details

Auction Record

$50 MS67 04-25-2023 eBay

Description

This silver medal depicts the U.S. Customhouse in Wheeling, West Virginia, one of the federal government's inland customs facilities that served the Ohio River trade corridor during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Wheeling's strategic position on the National Road and the Ohio River made it an important point of entry for goods moving between the eastern seaboard and the interior states, justifying the establishment of a federal customs presence. The medal belongs to the U.S. Mint's series of facility medals documenting federal buildings across the country. The obverse presents an architectural rendering of the Wheeling Customhouse, capturing the distinctive design elements of this federal building. Customhouses served not only as revenue collection points but also as visible symbols of federal authority in their communities, often housing post offices, courtrooms, and other government functions under one roof. The Wheeling facility reflected the importance of river commerce in the pre-railroad era, when duties on imported goods passing through inland waterways represented a significant portion of federal revenue. The reverse carries standard U.S. Mint inscriptions identifying the medal and its subject. The silver composition distinguishes this piece from the more common bronze versions of facility medals, indicating it was produced as a presentation piece or special striking. The 1974 approximate date places this medal in the era when the Mint was producing facility medals as collectible items documenting America's architectural heritage of federal buildings.

Rarity Notes

Silver composition facility medal. Less common than the standard bronze versions. Produced by the U.S. Mint as part of the facility medal series.

Cross References

PCGS #891850; U.S. Mint facility medal series; Wheeling, WV Customhouse