Lot 1881
1915-S Panama-Pacific $2.50. PCGS graded MS-66. Delicate golden-orange mint luster. Only 6,749 minted. Sun-fresh gold, indeed baking with gold satin luster, and fully radiant with a near-perfect strike. The five thematic coins issued for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition stand at the apex of American commemoratives. In all, 60,000 half dollars were coined, of which 34 were kept back for assay. Of the 59,966 pieces available, 27,100 were eventually sold while the remainder were destroyed later at the Mint. 25,034 gold dollars were coined, of which 34 were used for assay and the balance all sold. 10,017 $2.50 gold pieces were struck, of which 17 were set aside for assay, leaving 10,000 available. Of these there were 6,750 sold and the rest were melted.
Many new devices were being tested on America's coinage in this decade: matte proofing, rims without denticles, artistic lettering, textured fields, uneven "basining" of the design on the die, and the like. As can be seen, the coins struck for this expo, such as this handsome Quarter Eagle, incorporate some of these changes. Instead of a more traditional motif, the artist depicts Columbia seated on a mythological hippocampus, half-horse, half-sea serpent. The eagle, too, is rendered in a new, more modernistic way not seen before on an American production coin. It was modeled upon a similar eagle seen on one of the rare Pattern issues. Pop 399; 27 finer (PCGS # 7450) .
Estimated Value $5,500 - 6,000.
Ex Benson Collection.
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| Realized $6,613 |
