1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition Gold $1.00-$2.50-$50.00
Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:16 am
Panama-Pacific Exposition Gold Commemorative Issues
The Panama-Pacific Exposition held in San Francisco in 1915 to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. The commemorative coins where the first to be minted at the San Francisco Mint and the Octagonal 1915S $50 Gold was the first commemorative to sport this shape, and was probably inspired by the Private and Territorial California Gold coin issues of the same shape.
Charles Keck designed $1 Gold commemorative representing a Canal Laborer bust. The $2.50 gold commemorative showing Columbia with a caduceus in one hand and riding a hippocampus, represents using the canal, was designed by to well know engravers Charles E. Barber (of U.S. Barber Type Coinage fame) and George T. Morgan (of Morgan Dollar fame) respectively.
Date Mintage AU50 Value
1915S $1 (15,000) $640
1915S $2.50 (6,749) $1,650
Both the round and octagonal $50 pieces where designed by Robert Aitken, and are very rare commemorative indeed.
Date Mintage AU50 Value
1915S Round (483) $50,000
1915S Octog (645) $48,000
Panama Canal Facts:
The Panama Canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and construction began in the early 1900's and finished in 1914. The 48 mile canal realized an estimated 27,500 French and U.S. laborer deaths before its completion. In 1915 the United States held the Panama-Pacific Exposition to commemorate the opening of the canal and the San Francisco Mint released a silver half dollar commemorative and several notable gold commemoratives (above) and inspired the minting of several medals and tokens of which some are referred to as "so-called" dollars.
The Panama-Pacific Exposition held in San Francisco in 1915 to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. The commemorative coins where the first to be minted at the San Francisco Mint and the Octagonal 1915S $50 Gold was the first commemorative to sport this shape, and was probably inspired by the Private and Territorial California Gold coin issues of the same shape.
Charles Keck designed $1 Gold commemorative representing a Canal Laborer bust. The $2.50 gold commemorative showing Columbia with a caduceus in one hand and riding a hippocampus, represents using the canal, was designed by to well know engravers Charles E. Barber (of U.S. Barber Type Coinage fame) and George T. Morgan (of Morgan Dollar fame) respectively.
Date Mintage AU50 Value
1915S $1 (15,000) $640
1915S $2.50 (6,749) $1,650
Both the round and octagonal $50 pieces where designed by Robert Aitken, and are very rare commemorative indeed.
Date Mintage AU50 Value
1915S Round (483) $50,000
1915S Octog (645) $48,000
Panama Canal Facts:
The Panama Canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and construction began in the early 1900's and finished in 1914. The 48 mile canal realized an estimated 27,500 French and U.S. laborer deaths before its completion. In 1915 the United States held the Panama-Pacific Exposition to commemorate the opening of the canal and the San Francisco Mint released a silver half dollar commemorative and several notable gold commemoratives (above) and inspired the minting of several medals and tokens of which some are referred to as "so-called" dollars.