.78 ozt Arkansas River Navigation Silver

This is a commemorative medal for the dedication of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS), which took place on June 5, 1971. 

The medal features two U.S. Senators who were the primary champions of the project: John L. McClellan of Arkansas (left) and Robert S. Kerr of Oklahoma (right).

The medal commemorates the Arkansas River Waterway, featuring a map that shows the river's path from Catoosa and Tulsa, Oklahoma, through Muskogee, Ft. Smith, Little Rock, and Pine Bluff, eventually connecting to the Mississippi River.

The dedication ceremony was held at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa with President Richard Nixon serving as the keynote speaker. 

The MKARNS is a 445-mile waterway that connects the Verdigris, Arkansas, and White rivers to the Mississippi River, providing Oklahoma and Arkansas with a maritime outlet to the Gulf of Mexico. It was a massive civil works project authorized in 1946 and designed to provide navigation, flood control, hydroelectric power, and recreational benefits. Today, it remains a vital economic corridor, transporting millions of tons of cargo annually.

Content approx.: .78155 troy oz. fine silver

Mint: The Franklin Mint

Diameter approx.: 38.84 mm

Thickness approx.: 2.3 mm

Weight approx.: 26.28 g or 24.309 fine silver

Purity: 92.5%

Year: 1971

No taxes on this purchase.