Centennial coin symbolizes county's history

There are surely enough veterans of the Armed Services in this readership, that the concept of a battalion, or squadron, coin is well known.

The logo of the unit, or a symbol of import to that unit, is stamped on this piece of thick metal. One of my favorites, which I actually got while doing a chaplaincy exchange with an Air Force unit, has a cat who looks like Felix featured on it.

Also familiar to most veterans is the financial penalty resultant of being apprehended in certain places without one’s unit coin.

There is no financial penalty attached to being caught without one’s Curry County Centennial coin, but it is awfully nice to have one, just the same.

These logo coins, designed by local artist and educator Patsy Delk, have been distributed throughout the county’s elementary schools in commemoration of our county’s centennial, and indeed as far away as Florida. Yes, that should catch your interest.

With my grandson’s stepdad stationed at Tyndall AFB, and Jason resultantly living in Panama City, we try to send him packages with news and memories and symbols of home. Thus, when our granddaughter came home from school with her commemorative coin, which is unique and beautiful, I asked Mrs. Delk if it would be possible for me to have one to send Jace. She graciously complied, and to say Jason was thrilled would be an understatement.

Realizing how special that was, he asked if the one my colleague had given us for him was the first one. Answering in true granddad style, I told him I was pretty sure it was the first one that had gone to Florida, which more than satisfied him.

In retrospect, of course, given the increasing interrelationships between our area and the Florida Panhandle, I would be hard put to swear to that.

At the time, it seemed indisputable.

To the coin itself, it’s a masterpiece of symbolism in a small package.

Featured prominently are both the colors of the New Mexico skyline, caught

at sunset, and the appropriate symbol of a windmill.

The windmill stands for the water of life, since the pioneers learned early and well that pumping water was the only way to survive in this land of few rivers and streams.

Many of the easterners, moving here in the late 1800s or early 1900s, would have been like me, expecting to see a stream in every place where the ground dips. Surprise…thus they learned early on that the windmill brought survival.

Many of us have become familiar with the centennial cows, distributed through the county to various places of business. However, you owe it to yourself, and to the centennial committee, to get a view of this beautiful centennial logo. As mentioned earlier, since each elementary child received one, it is not to hard to find one.