LOT #3364 |
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1915-S $50 Panama-Pacific 50 Dollar Round MS66 NGC. CAC....
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Sold on May 3, 2023 for:
$312,000.00
Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder
Description
1915-S Panama-Pacific Fifty Dollar, MS66
Round Format, CAC Approved
Only Four Finer at NGC
1915-S $50 Panama-Pacific 50 Dollar Round MS66 NGC. CAC. The
Panama-Pacific International Exposition opened in San Francisco on
February 20, 1915 and ran through December 4 that year. The event
celebrated the completion of the Panama Canal and, perhaps more
importantly, showcased the recovery of the city from the
devastating earthquake and fire nearly a decade earlier. There were
a number of spectacular exhibits, and even auto races around the
perimeter of the fairgrounds. Among the exhibits was Farran Zerbe's
"Money of the World" exhibit as part of a large display in the
Liberal Arts building, providing a venue for sales of the
commemorative coins as well as a number of related souvenir
medals.The Panama-Pacific Exposition coins were the first commemorative coins struck at the San Francisco Mint. Robert Aitken designed the $50 gold coins that were issued in round and octagonal formats. The designs were similar, featuring a profile of Minerva on the obverse and an owl on the reverse. The octagonal coins had dolphins in the angles outside the border. Robert Ingersoll Aitken was a sculptor who was born in San Francisco in 1878 and trained at the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art, the forerunner of today's San Francisco Art Institute. His most prominent work is the West pediment of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. In addition to designs for these gold coins, Aitken also created the Fountain of Earth for the exposition. In addition to these coins, Aitken also created designs for the 1921 Missouri Centennial half dollar and the 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition half dollars that are known today as the San Diego half dollars.
Designers of the other Panama-Pacific coins included Charles E. Barber for the obverse of the half dollar, George T. Morgan for the half dollar reverse, Charles Keck for the gold dollar, and Barber and Morgan again for the obverse and reverse of the $2.50 gold piece.
In support of the Panama-Pacific Exposition, the American Numismatic Association held its annual convention in San Francisco from August 30 to September 1, 1915 at the Hotel Stewart, the convention headquarters. Mr. H.O. Granberg was elected the new president of the association. The convention photograph, taken on the steps of the San Francisco Mint, and published in the October 1915 issue of The Numismatist shows 21 individuals who attended the event.
In his convention report that was also published in the October 1915 issue of The Numismatist, Edgar H. Adams shared more about the sale of these coins:
"Mr. Zerbe's headquarters for the sale of the souvenir coins was located in the Liberal Arts Building, and was arranged in a very attractive manner. His personal collection of all sorts of money was displayed in such a way that it could be properly appreciated by the visitors. This was the Mecca of the visiting members, to whom Mr. Zerbe extended every courtesy. As a matter of fact, Mr. Zerbe deserves and has received the highest appreciation of everyone who has attended the 1915 Convention for his uniform kindness and courtesy, which did a great deal to make the meeting a success."
The actual sales of the various commemorative issues were perhaps disappointing. That was likely due in part to the expense of the five-coin sets, and as a result, most buyers opted for the silver half dollar, and even that was relatively expensive at the time. In an effort to promote further sales, Zerbe commissioned a local jeweler, Shreve & Co., to create copper frames to hold the five coin sets that were priced at $200, and he even had double copper frames that held 10 coins to show the front and back of each. The 10-coin sets were priced at $400 and few were sold.
It is impossible to know today if the Premium Gem that is offered here came from one of the five-coin or 10-coin sets, or if it was originally sold as a single. Regardless, this highly lustrous example is a beauty, displaying brilliant yellow-gold surfaces and an absence of marks. The Certified Acceptance Corporation, CAC, has accepted this coin as a properly graded example that will be a nice addition to an advanced commemorative collection. Census: 20 in 66 (1 in 66+, 1 in 66★ ), 4 finer. CAC: 5 in 66, 2 finer (3/23).
From The Blue Ridge Collection. (Registry values: N14284)
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# BYLU, PCGS# 7451, Greysheet# 10215)
Weight: 83.59 grams
Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
View all of [The Blue Ridge Collection. ]
Auction Info
2023 May 3 - 7 CSNS US Coins Signature® Auction #1359 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
May, 2023
3rd-7th
Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 18
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 903
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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