The standard five-coin Souvenir Set contains a special 33-millimeter bronze medal. These medals represent either the Philadelphia or Denver Mint. A standard medal was used for most years of issue, although special medals were included within the 1976 Souvenir Sets.
These bronze medals can serve as an identifying feature for Souvenir Sets. By comparison, the more common Uncirculated Coin Sets issued by the United States Mint will have a plastic token or a cent-sized bronze medal. Additionally, privately packaged annual coin sets will not include the bronze medal.
The standard Philadelphia Mint Bronze Medal features a depiction of the mint facility on the obverse. The inscriptions read “United States Mint Philadelphia” with the date “August 14, 1969” representing the opening day for the fourth and current Philadelphia Mint building. The words “Department of the Treasury” appear along the lower edge.
The reverse of the medal features an image of an eagle holding a scale in its beak with an olive branch in one talon and a key in the other. An image of the continental United States with outlines of each state is superimposed. The Philadelphia Mint “P” mint mark appears below the eagle.
The standard Denver Mint Bronze Medal features an image of the mint building on the obverse. The words “United States Mint” appear above and “Denver, Colorado” appears below. The Denver Mint’s “D” mint mark appears to the right of the building.
The reverse of the medal features the seal of the Department of the Treasury. At the center is a chevron with thirteen stars, a balance scale, and a key. The words “The Department of the Treasury” appear surrounding with the date “1789” below to represent the date of establishment.
A special medal was included within the 1976 Philadelphia Mint Souvenir Set to mark the Bicentennial. The obverse design includes an image of the Philadelphia Mint, with the Liberty Bell above and an image of a parchment and quill representing the Declaration of Independence below. Thirteen stars are interspersed in the upper field with 37 stars around the bottom edge, together representing the 50 states. Inscriptions include “Bicentennial of Independence”, the dates “1776” and “1976”, “Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land”, and “United States Mint Philadelphia”.
The reverse design features an image of many figures in Colonial dress with period appropriate furnishings. The inscriptions read “200th Anniversary of United States” above, with “First Coining Meeting” and the dates “1776” and “1976” below.
A special medal was also included within the 1976 Denver Mint Souvenir Set to mark the Centennial of the state of Colorado. The obverse design was the same as the standard Denver Mint Medal with an image of the mint building and the inscriptions “United States Mint” and “Denver, Colorado”. The reverse of the medal features an image of the Rocky Mountains with a stylized “76” superimposed. Within the numbers are the inscriptions “colorado” and “usa” in lowercase letters. Surrounding the image are the dates “1876-1976” and the word “Centennial”. The Denver Mint “D” mint mark appears at the base of the mountains.