Blue Ridge Parkway
For the Golden Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway, officials commissioned the Charleston Mint to produce a commemorative "coin" /token which would be made available to visitors as souvenirs. These medallions were struck in solid bronze and make nice collectibles, although not terribly valuable in their metallic content. I bought two of them at USD $2.00 in 1985 when they were issued and still have them both in my collection. They appear to have a "collector value" of USD $5–$15 currently.
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The above photo shows the obverse (front) and the following photo shows the reverse (back) of the same medallion. The document that came with the medallion describes the iconography thusly:
On the front is the official Golden Anniversary logo which depicts a road through scenic mountains with a White Pine to represent the forests and wildlife. The reverse honors the states of North Carolina and Virginia, through which the Parkway passes and without whose help the Parkway would not be a reality. The cardinal is the state bird and the the dogwood is the state flower of Virginia and North Carolina.
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Here is a detail of the reverse (back), zoomed-in a bit closer:
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The document that accompanied the medallion also says:
The purpose of the Blue Ridge Parkway is to link Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee by way of a motor road oriented toward recreation.
The intent of the legislation that created the first rural national parkway was to provide an elongated park for public use and enjoyment through safe, uninterrupted, leisurely motor vehicle travel, and to conserve and interpret the natural and cultural resources of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
This concept has been embodied over the past five decades in a park that winds 470 miles through the valleys and over the peaks that make up the Blue Ridge, Black, Great Craggy, Great Balsam and Plott Balsam Ranges.
By placing emphasis on the rural character of the region through which it passes, the Parkway has become a showcase for the scenic, recreational and cultural resources of that region.
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image source: AllTrails.com
The amazing nature of the Blue Ridge Parkway and its environs are many fold:
- For one thing, it is unique in being "America's longest linear park" and "runs for 469 miles (755 km) through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties." [1] This one point might be of interest to @xcountytravelers 😉
- The Appalachian Mountains are full of beauty. Miles and miles of gorgeous scenery abounds there. Since the Appalachians are one of the oldest mountain ranges on Earth, they have been worn-down by millennia of wind and rain, so are no longer as high as the Rockies, but they are no less beautiful! There are many "scenic overlooks" where motorists can stop to stretch their legs and take in the scenic vistas. One can look down into valleys below as well as coves, across to other mountains, and be fascinated by the ever-changing landscape at each point along the way.
- Besides the pretty landscapes, nature lovers will find a tremendous wealth of flora and fauna to watch. Although the Parkway passes close to several towns and cities, much of the land adjacent to the Parkway is rural, or is maintained by the National Forest Service. This allows for sightings of many species of animals if one is alert. I have seen deer, red fox, gray fox, a bobcat, muskrats, raccoons, opossums, striped skunks, spotted skunks, shrews, and probably more that my present memory is forgetting. I have also heard mountain lions howling from distant mountain peaks, although I've never seen one in the wild (thankfully!).
- Most of the wildlife I saw was while cruising the Parkway at night with friends. Many of us gathered at various places up there after dark for the star-gazing opportunities, Select locations are good for star-gazing at particular times of the year. Be sure to exercise caution if going there at night, so as not to injure wildlife that might dart across the road and to ensure that you stay on the roadway, as there are some very sheer drops if one veers too far off the pavement in places.
- Lovers of flowers won't be disappointed, either, as many species thrive on the Parkway and the adjacent lands. There are rhododendrons, azaleas, mountain laurel, trillium, wild ginger, jack-in-the-pulpit, bloodroot, pitcher plants, milkweed, fleabane, asters, daisies, black-eyed susans, pipsissewa, and hundreds more... yes, hundreds of species, if not thousands! And that is not counting the trees: several species of oaks, elm, firs, balsam, birch, maple, sycamore, sassafras, poplar, locust, beech, ash, several species of pine, and many more, mostly in old-growth forests that stretch for miles and miles.
- Hundreds of miles of hiking trails abound — some short and easy, some long and strenuous — to suit the desires of any level of hiker. Dozens of waterfalls can be viewed in several areas adjacent to the Parkway. There are also camping facilities nearby, both primitive and modern, as well as numerous inns not far off the Parkway for those who do not wish to "rough it." There are dozens of short side-trips that can be taken to museums, shops that sell anything your heart can imagine from rustic crafts to expensive jewelry. There are also officially-designated wilderness areas, for the hardcore, which require registration and permits to access because of safety concerns. Whitewater rafting opportunities are also available nearby, as well as waters for canoeing and kayaking.
- Many cultural and historic sites and venues lie along the route, where one can learn about the life of the early settlers to the area as well as events that helped to shape the landscape and the people who lived there. This makes for a perfect educational experience, all while having fun in an hands-on manner!
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SOURCES
1 Wikipedia: Blue Ridge Parkway
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20-Apr-2019
Thanks for the trip down memory lane... I had the pleasure of motorbiking the Blue Ridge Parkway ... it was an awesome adventure for sure. Admittedly the best part was Deals Gap. Tail of the Dragon is insane!!
These are some interesting facts about the road.
I like coins too but I don't really collect them.
Hello!
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Oh, yummy decadence! Thank you for the curation, resteem, and upvote! 😊
isn't it amazing, a small coin has a long story. Who would have thought that the value is rising up. Maybe the old things has a greater value because it is hard to find right now.
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Yes, the old things definitely have value, especially with such a story behind it! Thanks for the comment and the appreciation! 😊
no, it's fine. Actually I love historical things and places.
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That’s a lovely coin, and such an amazing story behind it. Fascinating post, I loved reading through this.
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Thank you so much! 😊
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Thank you so much! I hope this post, and your resteem of it, helps lots of folks discover this gem! 😊
Oh, wouldn't that be a great prize to get after we take that drive? Oh, it would be amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Ren
I do hope you get to see it some day! It is such an amazing and leisurely thing to experience!
Beautiful designs on the coin... You would have thought for the golden anniversary they would have had the option of a gold version!
Actually, they might have had that option, I am not sure. I wasn't big into collecting silver & gold at the time, so I had not checked with companies who minted such. This was found at a standard souvenir shop along the way. But yes, a gold coin for the golden anniversary would be perfect!
... And a diamond coin for...
Coin is a pretty mold, reading the history it appears to hold more value to you than being sold. Good memories along a route you obviously hold dear.
@thekittygirl I love the Blue Ridge mountains and the overall AT, they really do appear blue from a distance! Kind you got a coin to remember the construction of it. I always daydream of what it must have been like to build through the forest in those times. Rough for sure.
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