1915-S $50 Panama-Pacific 50 Dollar Round MS63 PCGS. CAC....

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1915-S Pan-Pac Fifty Dollar, MS63
A Celebration of Achievement

1915-S $50 Panama-Pacific 50 Dollar Round MS63 PCGS. CAC. As Garrett and Guth put it in the second edition of their gold coin Encyclopedia, "The Panama Canal was more than a handy shortcut through the Americas -- it represented a triumph of human ingenuity over the barriers of nature." Likewise, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition was more than a celebration of the newly opened waterway and trade route, as it also representing artistic achievement and industrial advancement. Souvenir coins struck by the U.S. Mint in conjunction with the Great Fair similarly needed to represent the ideas and artistic allegories upon which the Exposition was built. Of the five commemorative issues produced for and sold to fair goers, the most impressive and arguably most artistically significant are the gold fifty dollar pieces, designed by Robert Aitken, a preeminent American sculptor during the early 20th century and former instructor at the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art. A description of the designs of these coins in the July 1915 issue of The Numismatist stated:

"The motives used in these designs were selected by the sculptor because of their simple dignity and far-reaching significance, as well as for their decorative pattern.

"Obverse. Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom, Skill, Contemplation, Spinning, Weaving and of Agriculture and Horticulture. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FIFTY DOLLARS -- MCMXV. In field, IN GOD WE TRUST. Reverse. Owl, sacred to Minerva, the accepted symbol of Wisdom, perched upon a branch of western pine. PANAMA-PACIFIC EXPOSITION -- SAN FRANCISCO. In the field, E PLURIBUS UNUM -- The designer's initials, R.A. Dolphins, suggesting as they encircle the central field, the uninterrupted water route made possible by the Panama Canal, occupy the angles of the octagonal coin."

Congress authorized a total of 3,000 fifty dollar Pan-Pac gold pieces to be produced, comprised of 1,500 Round and 1,500 Octagonal. The coins were hefty and impressive, representing not only the first gold pieces of that denomination struck for distribution by the United States Mint, but also recalling to mind the history of San Francisco and the U.S. Assay Office fifty dollar octagonal "slugs" that were an anchor of local commerce there during the height of the California Gold Rush. The only hindrance to sales of these coins, as pointed out by Edgar Adams in the August 1915 issue of The Numismatist, was the price. While several different sets as well as individual coins could be purchased, no one was able to acquire even a single fifty dollar Pan-Pac commemorative without parting with $100, which, at the time, was beyond the reach of virtually all potential buyers. Farran Zerbe eventually marketed these coins in sets to wealthy bankers, producing more sales, but distribution ultimately trickled out at 645 Octagonal pieces and 483 Round. The remainder of the coins were melted down.

This CAC-endorsed Round example represents one of the greatest eras of artistic achievement and industrial advancement, both in numismatics and American history. The strike is sharp throughout, complementing warm honey-gold luster and satiny surfaces. Only minor, unobtrusive handling marks are evident beneath a loupe.
From The Dr. Jerry Collection. (Registry values: N7079)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# BYLU, PCGS# 7451, Greysheet# 10215)

Weight: 83.59 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

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