Sesquicentennial medallion design approved by state commission

CARSON CITY — A medallion with the state seal on one side that notes Nevada’s 150th anniversary on the other was approved Thursday at the state’s official sesquicentennial medallion.

Members of the state Sesquicentennial Commission picked the design for the medallions Tuesday and set a price of $100.50 for each 1-ounce silver piece. The first 1,000 medallions will be manufactured Oct. 25 on an 1868 press at the state museum in Carson City.

Commissioners, meeting by teleconference, also agreed to manufacture 2,000 copper medallions and sell them for $15 each.

“These should be available for everyone,” said Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, chairman of the commission. “Kids will use their allowances to buy them.”

A 1,000-ounce bar of silver was donated to the state by the Coeur Rochester mining company near Lovelock in May.

If the demand for the medallions is high, then commissioners could decide later to manufacture additional silver and copper medallions. Krolicki said he hopes other mining companies will make donations.

Commissioners also gave tentative approval to hire the Glenn Group public relations and advertising agency to manage and coordinate events planned for the state’s birthday celebration.

Nevada was admitted into the union as the 36th state on Oct. 31, 1864. A one-year celebration will start the weekend of Oct. 25, in observance of Nevada Day, and run for the next year with plans for 150 or more events.

An official contract with Glenn Group has not yet been executed but should be drawn up and approved in the next two weeks.

Terms call for the agency to be paid $15,000 a month and receive commissions for raising private funds for celebration activities.

Kara Kelley, former CEO of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, will be hired by Glenn to serve as the celebration’s executive director.

The commission has a little more than $200,000 in the bank but wants to raise more than $2.5 million in private donations to cover event costs.

If the commission sells out the first 1,000 silver medallions, it will have $83,000 in profit to use for events.

The state has been issuing 150th anniversary license plates since July. The state also is working with the U.S. Postal Service on a 150th anniversary stamp.

Commissioner Patty Cafferata, former state treasurer, raised concerns that the commission’s tax-exempt status could be jeopardized because the IRS was told fundraising would not be done by outside groups.

Another commissioner, Reno lawyer Bud Hicks, drew up tentative contract plans that included paying Glenn a 10 percent commission on the first $500,000 it raises and 15 percent on anything more it secures in donations.

Advance orders to acquire either silver or copper medallions can be made through the Sesquicentennial Commission’s web site: nevada150.org.

Staff members were instructed to prepare order forms and place them on the website as quickly as possible. No more than five medallions can be purchased by one person. Orders will be shipped the week of Oct. 28.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com.