1869 Pacific Railway Completion Medal. By William Barber. HK-12, Julian CM-39. Rarity-5. Bronze. MS-65 BN (NGC).45 mm. Deep, rich, mahogany-copper patina overall. Both sides are smooth in hand with a satiny texture, a few faint carbon spots the only impediments to an even higher Gem Mint State grade. Struck in the Philadelphia Mint from dies prepared by Chief Engraver William Barber, medals of this type commemorate completion of the first transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, in a ceremony in Provo, Utah. Total mintage for bronze specimens amounted to just 496 pieces, of which this is certainly among the finest certified available to todays quality conscious collectors.
