The City of Erie, PA held Northwestern Pennsylvania's Greatest Celebration on September 10th and 11th, 1895.
In addition to parades and decorations, the city issued a collectible bronze token with the majestic old city hall on the obverse.
The reverse of the token, pictured here, was a tribute to Oliver Hazard Perry and his heroic role in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. As his flagship Lawrence was sinking on Sept. 10, 1813, Perry boarded a lifeboat which was rowed to the Niagara. Perry sent the victorious message to his commander, "We have met the enemy, and they are ours."
Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com
Coins were also issued for the Perry Sesquicentennial in 1963: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2013/03/perry-sesquicentennial-1963-carnival.html
The City of Erie, PA pulled out all the stops to celebrate the Perry Sesquicentennial in 1963. They even released bronze souvenir coins to commemorate the event.
This limited edition coin was issued for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. The Perry sesquicentennial medal was the size of a half dollar and was produced in limited quantities. There are at least two other coins in this series. All three had different redemption dates.
In addition to the Winter Carnival, there were many events such as a reenactment of the Battle of Lake Erie at Veteran's Memorial Stadium, and a series of parades.
Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com
