2003 Medal NWRS - Salmon

Coin Details

Auction Record

$51 PR68 03-29-2005 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 2003 National Wildlife Refuge System Salmon silver medal is one of four medals produced by the U.S. Mint for the centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The salmon — a Pacific salmon species such as the sockeye or chinook — represents the aquatic dimension of the refuge system's mission, which extends beyond terrestrial habitats to encompass rivers, streams, wetlands, and coastal waters critical to fish and marine life. The obverse features a salmon rendered in dynamic motion, depicted leaping upstream during its spawning migration — one of nature's most dramatic spectacles. Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) undertake epic journeys from the ocean to their natal freshwater streams, fighting currents, waterfalls, and predators over hundreds of miles to complete their life cycle. This remarkable behavior has made salmon both a cultural icon of the Pacific Northwest and a bellwether species for environmental health, as their survival depends on clean water, unobstructed passage, and intact riparian habitat. The reverse carries the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial emblem shared across the four-medal set. Struck in silver at 38.1mm, the Salmon medal acknowledges the refuge system's critical role in aquatic conservation. Numerous refuges protect salmon habitat, including the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska — one of the largest in the system — which encompasses spawning grounds for multiple salmon species. The decline of wild salmon populations across the Pacific Northwest due to dam construction, habitat degradation, and overfishing has made refuge protection increasingly vital to the species' survival, and the centennial medal program recognized this aquatic conservation mission alongside the more visible work of protecting terrestrial wildlife.

Rarity Notes

U.S. Mint issue in silver, 38.1mm. Part of the four-medal NWRS centennial set. Limited mintage for the 2003 anniversary year.

Cross References

PCGS #20515; NGC #500194; National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial 1903-2003