2003 Medal NWRS - Eagle

Coin Details

Auction Record

$71 MS68BN 08-04-2021 eBay

Description

The 2003 National Wildlife Refuge System Eagle bronze medal is one of four medals produced by the U.S. Mint for the centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) — America's national bird since 1782 — serves as a particularly fitting subject for the refuge centennial, as the species' dramatic recovery from near-extinction stands as one of the refuge system's greatest conservation achievements. The obverse features a bald eagle rendered in the commanding pose that has made it an enduring symbol of American strength and freedom. By the early 1960s, bald eagle populations had plummeted to fewer than 500 nesting pairs in the contiguous United States, decimated by DDT pesticide accumulation, habitat loss, and illegal shooting. The establishment of refuges providing protected nesting and feeding habitat, combined with the 1972 DDT ban and Endangered Species Act protections, enabled a recovery so successful that the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list in 2007. The reverse carries the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial insignia with the system's founding date and hundredth anniversary markers. Struck in bronze, the Eagle medal was the most affordable piece in the centennial set, making it accessible to the broadest range of supporters. The National Wildlife Refuge System's connection to the bald eagle extends beyond symbolism — numerous refuges were established specifically to protect eagle habitat, including the iconic Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, which supports one of the densest bald eagle populations in North America. President Theodore Roosevelt, who created the refuge system, was himself a passionate conservationist whose writings on American wildlife helped shape the nation's environmental consciousness.

Rarity Notes

U.S. Mint issue in bronze. Part of the four-medal NWRS centennial set. Bronze composition made this the most widely distributed medal in the set. Available through the U.S. Mint.

Cross References

PCGS #20518; NGC #500183; National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial 1903-2003