- More
1915-S $50 Panama-Pacific 50 Dollar Round MS64 NGC....
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
1915-S Panama-Pacific Fifty, MS64
Scarcer Round Version
483 Examples Sold
1915-S $50 Panama-Pacific 50 Dollar Round MS64 NGC. These
celebrated fifty dollar gold coins are greatly appreciated for
their beauty, impressive size, and scarcity. As souvenirs of the
Panama-Pacific International Exposition, they are unparalleled. But
perhaps more significantly, these coins serve as tangible symbols
of the California Gold Rush economy and the resulting growth of the
city of San Francisco.There would be no Panama-Pacific International Exposition, no fifty dollar slugs, were it not for the monumentally important discovery of gold by James Marshall at John Sutter's mill on January 24, 1848. The find brought tens of thousands of migrants from the Eastern United States and Europe to northern California with the hopes of striking it rich. San Francisco quickly became the hub of Western expansion. Its population swelled from roughly 150 residents in 1846 to more than 50,000 just 10 years later. However, in the early years of the Gold Rush, economic growth was made more difficult, if not hampered, by a tradition found in many parts of America at that time.
California, like other states, had a history of metallism - a reliance on "hard money" and a distrust of paper currency. However, in the face of vast amounts of wealth being mined in the gold fields, a shortage of circulating coinage persisted. "Coin of the realm" was needed to pay customs, and its scarcity incited hoarding. Miners, merchants, and other settlers usually traded in gold ore or dust, which varied widely in purity and required carrying scales. Private assayers and coiners of varying repute set up shop along Montgomery Street, but this was only a partial solution to the problem.
A more sustainable answer to the coin shortage was authorizing the firm of Moffat & Co. to act under government contract as the United States Assay Office in 1851, with Augustus Humbert as U.S. Assayer. The U.S.A.O. served as a sort of provisional mint, producing large fifty dollar ingots to serve as a standardized medium of exchange on the frontier.
In 1854, the U.S. government established a branch mint at San Francisco. After a period of normal growing pains, the facility quickly proved itself capable of converting vast quantities of California gold into usable circulating coinage. The San Francisco Mint outgrew its first building in just two decades and moved into what is commonly referred to as the Granite Lady in 1874. That property would serve as its home until 1937, and was one of the few buildings to survive the devastating earthquake and fire that decimated the city in 1906.
The 1915-S Panama-Pacific fifty dollar gold coins are products of this long and fascinating history. They were modeled after the iconic Humbert fifty dollar slugs, struck at the famous Second San Francisco Mint, and produced to commemorate, in part, San Francisco's rebirth after the devastating earthquake of 1906. Both round and octagonal versions were produced, using the same basic design by sculptor Robert Aitken. The coins had a selling price of $100 per coin, too expensive for all but the most wealthy collectors to afford. As a result, only 483 examples of the round version were sold.
The present coin is an attractive Choice example of the elusive round Pan-Pac fifty, with well-detailed design elements and well-preserved orange-gold surfaces that radiate vibrant mint luster from both sides. Overall eye appeal is terrific for this classic gold commemorative issue. Part of a five-piece Pan-Pac set, with the coins offered in consecutive lots in this catalog.(Registry values: N10218)
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# BYLU, PCGS# 7451)
Weight: 83.59 grams
Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Auction Info
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid (minimum $19) per lot.
Calculate Standard Domestic Shipping Sales Tax information | NGC Coin Grading Guarantee
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | Coin Grading Tutorial
Floor auctions
Open for bidding: (View All)Fine Art
Ends on 04/14/2021
Photography
Ends on 04/14/2021
Comics & Comic Art
Ends on 04/15/2021
Sports Collectibles
Ends on 04/15/2021
US Coins
Ends on 04/15/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 04/16/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 04/18/2021
Currency
Ends on 04/21/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 04/21/2021
US Coins
Ends on 04/22/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 04/22/2021
US Coins
Ends on 04/22/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 04/25/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 04/27/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 04/29/2021
Currency
Ends on 04/30/2021
Illustration Art
Ends on 04/30/2021
Entertainment
Ends on 05/01/2021
Luxury Accessories
Ends on 05/02/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Ends on 05/03/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 05/06/2021
Sports Collectibles
Ends on 05/06/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 05/07/2021
US Coins
Ends on 05/08/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 04/14/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 04/21/2021
Photography
Opens about 04/21/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 04/22/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 04/23/2021
Historical
Opens about 04/26/2021
US Coins
Opens about 04/15/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Opens about 04/18/2021
Currency
Opens about 04/15/2021
Manuscripts
Opens about 04/30/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 04/28/2021
Silver
Opens about 04/29/2021
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 04/22/2021
Sports Collectibles
Opens about 05/06/2021
Space
Opens about 05/03/2021
Western & Texas Art
Opens about 04/30/2021
Historical
Opens about 05/03/2021
US Coins
Opens about 04/22/2021
Currency
Opens about 04/23/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 05/04/2021
US Coins
Opens about 04/29/2021
US Coins
Opens about 04/29/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 05/03/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/12/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/14/2021
Entertainment
Opens about 05/14/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 05/21/2021
Arms & Armor
Opens about 05/18/2021
US Coins
Opens about 05/08/2021
Rare Books
Opens about 05/21/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/19/2021
Photography
Opens about 05/19/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 05/20/2021
Heritage membership
- Past Auction Values (prices, photos, full descriptions, etc.)
- Bid online
- Free Collector newsletter
- Want List with instant e-mail notifications
- Reduced auction commissions when you resell your
winnings
- Cash Advances
- More Bidders
- Trusted Experts
- Over 200,000 Satisfied Consignors Since 1976
Learn about consigning with us
Thank you so much for your yeoman effort to showcase the Julius Reiver collection to its greatest advantage.View More Testimonials
HA.com receives more traffic than any other auction house website. (Source: Similarweb.com)
Video tutorial
Getting the most out of search