The 2008 Bald Eagle commemorative coin program was struck to celebrate "the recovery and restoration of the American bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States, to America's lands, waterways, and skies and the great importance of the designation of the American bald eagle as an ''endangered'' species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes.
(Public Law 108-486)American Bald Eagle
(Image Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Public Domain.)When the US Bald Eagle was placed on the Endangered Species List in 1973, it had been suffering from decades of declining populations due to fertility and egg shell weakness issues from the pesticide DDT, loss of habitat from human development and even hunting. The majestic bird - and national symbol - was nearing extinction. with just over 400 nesting pairs in the wild. Its placement on the Federal list enabled the proper nation-wide protections to be put in place that allowed for the slow but steady recovery of the Bald Eagle population.
The Bald Eagle was removed from the Endangered List and moved to the Threatened List in 1995. Continued recovery enabled the Bald Eagle to be removed from the Threatened List in August 2007.
To mark the momentous occasion, companion bills were introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate in 2004 (108th Congress) to celebrate the American Bald Eagle's return. The House bill moved forward and was signed into law in December. The coin bills/Law called for a three-coin program to benefit the American Eagle Foundation of Tennessee and its efforts to support the "care, monitoring, maintenance, and recovery of the bald eagle and its habitat in the United States."
The three-coin program includes Proof and Uncirculated versions of a Gold Half Eagle, a Silver Dollar and a CuNi Clad Half Dollar. In addition to making the program's coins available individually and in a three-coin Proof Set, the Mint also prepared a
Coin & Medal Set that included an Uncirculated 2008 Silver Dollar and a bronze example of the 2003 National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial medal that features a Bald Eagle design. A
Young Collector's Set was also created.
The
Bald Eagle Coin & Medal Set differs from the Mint's
Young Collector's Sets in that it features a four-panel coin folder vs. a six-panel folder, but, as its target audience was the adult collector, its content panels are far more text-intensive vs. the panels of the
Young Collector's Sets; the
Coin & Medal Set does not use cartoon graphics to help convey its story.
The
Set had an issue price of $44.95 and a maximum production limit of 50,000 sets. It did not prove to be a very popular set, selling just over half of the potential sets available - 26,918 units. (I will soon post about the
Bald Eagle Young Collector's Set that features a CuNi Half Dollar.)
2008 Bald Eagle Coin & Medal Set - Slipcase - Front
2008 Bald Eagle Coin & Medal Set - Slipcase - Back
2008 Bald Eagle Coin & Medal Set - Coin Folder - Front
2008 Bald Eagle Coin & Medal Set - Coin Folder - Back
2008 Bald Eagle Coin & Medal Set - Coin Folder - Inside - Top
2008 Bald Eagle Coin & Medal Set - Coin Folder - Inside - Bottom
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more Collector Set stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 09/20/2022 12:07 am
