2026 Official State of Alaska Bear Cub Medallion
Alaska Mint proudly presents the 2026 Official State of Alaska Medallion, the Bear Cub. This medallion was designed by Riana Sather, a local artist that also works as a conductor on the Alaska Railroad. She is inspired each day by being surrounded by the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. Riana picked up a pencil for the first time when she was 13 years old. During covid she was given the opportunity to pursue art as a career and spends her time split between drawing and conducting at the Alaska Railroad. She also loves riding motorcycles in her off time.
Black bears (Ursus americanus) are the most abundant of the three species of North American bears. An estimated 100,000 black bears inhabit Alaska. The black bear is the smallest of the Alaskan bears. They are about 29” tall and 60” long. Males are larger than females, and weigh about 180-200 pounds.
They vary in color from jet black to white. Black is the color encountered most frequently in Alaska, but brown or cinnamon-colored black bears are sometimes seen in Southcentral, Southeastern and Alaska’s Interior. The very rare white blackbear is also known as a Spirit Bear, and a Glacier Bear has silver-blue or grey hair. Black bears have a straight facial profile. Their claws grow more than 1 ½ inches in length. They have adequate sight and hearing, but outstanding sense of smell.
These medallions are struck with specially prepared frosted dies that give them a satin finish, and a reeded edge instead of the edge with lettering. This allows us to mint them quickly and sell for a lower price. Another nice thing about this surface is that they can be handled without leaving fingerprints, perfect for stacking and young coin collectors! They come packaged in a plastic holder along with a certificate of authenticity. The Official State of Alaska Medallions are the only medallions that we mint that feature the Seal of the State of Alaska on the reverse!
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