Nevada State Museum Commemorates John C. Fremont with Special Medallion Minting Event

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Written By Blue & Gold NLR Team

 

 

The Nevada State Museum in Carson City will be minting a commemorative medallion honoring 19th-century explorer John C. Fremont.

Starting on January 4, the medallions will be minted every Saturday in January in recognition of Fremont’s birthday on January 21.

Historic Coin Press No. 1, which was operated at the mint from 1870 to 1893 and is now part of the Museum, will be used for this event. Visitors can purchase a planchet voucher from the Museum Store and watch as a half-ounce .999 medallion is minted.

Fremont, who led several westward expeditions in the mid-1800s, played a significant role in the expansion of the United States.

His reports from 1842-1844 guided emigrants to Oregon and California during the Gold Rush, and he is credited with naming key landmarks such as Pyramid Lake, the Carson River, the Walker River, and Las Vegas. Fremont was later appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as a major general during the Civil War.

He is also remembered for the famous lost cannon, the 12-pound 1835 Mountain Howitzer, which was abandoned in the West Walker River in 1844. A replica of this cannon is a notable symbol in the rivalry between the University of Nevada, Reno, and UNLV during their annual football game.

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