1915-S $50 Panama-Pacific 50 Dollar Octagonal MS66 PCGS....

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1915-S Panama-Pacific Fifty Dollar, MS66
Symbolic Octagonal Variant

1915-S $50 Panama-Pacific 50 Dollar Octagonal MS66 PCGS. There was a certain artistic genius to Robert Aitken's selection of the Roman goddess Minerva for the obverse design of his fifty dollar Panama-Pacific gold pieces. On the surface, the goddess was a fitting choice, representing in Roman mythology wisdom, strategic warfare, crafts, and the arts -- all portrayed in one form or another in the extravagance of the Pan-Pac Expo and the newly dug Panama Canal that it celebrated. It also mirrored California's heritage as a state, adopting the same allegorical figure that had long been the chief element of the state's Great Seal.

However, the symbolism actually ran deeper. The California Great Seal was conceived in 1849 by U.S. Army Major Robert S. Garnett, who chose Minerva for how the goddess' birth in Roman mythology mirrored California's coming birth as a state in 1850. In Roman mythology, Minerva sprang from the head of Jupiter fully formed, and California, unlike other states brought into the Union in the early years of America, gained statehood without first being a U.S. territory -- thus, California was born as a state "fully formed." This symbolism in the Great Seal coincided with the events of the ongoing California Gold Rush and California's emergence into prominence.

In 1915, when Congress authorized the coinage of 3,000 fifty dollar gold pieces to celebrate the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the legislation dictated that half of the coins should be struck in an octagonal shape to recall the octagonal gold fifty dollar "slugs" produced in San Francisco during the California Gold Rush. The intent in the legislation was to recall California's rich history and the events of the Gold Rush. But Aitken using Minerva for the design of the coin tied the artistic symbolism much deeper.

Of the 1,500 octagonal fifty dollar pieces struck, only 645 were sold in 1915, and the remainder melted. While many examples survive today for collectors, most are in low or middle Mint State grades. Coins as fine as MS66 are genuinely rare, and anything finer is prohibitively so. We have previously handled only four MS66 examples of the octagonal issue. This piece displays rich orange-gold mint luster and a bold strike, with no bothersome abrasions. Eye appeal is simply outstanding. Population: 5 in 66 (1 in 66+), 0 finer (7/25).(Registry values: P7)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# BYLX, PCGS# 7452, Greysheet# 10216)

Weight: 83.59 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

View Certification Details from PCGS