Lot 2716
1915-S Panama-Pacific Gold $50 Round. NGC graded MS-65. Only 483 pieces struck. Bright satin finish, mimicking the light, swift flutter of a magical golden butterfly, the field glows serenely as when first issued. Difficult to imagine even in choice condition, this one has every hallmark of its desirable Gem 65 status, and then some. Something perhaps worth pausing to study as well is the fact that all devices were struck with the usual and desirable consistency of this year, that is, sharply by the dies, which then left behind bold elements of detail throughout. Full stylized leafy design on the helmet; wavy hair curls on Minerva (a.k.a. Athena); plus full pine cones, face and chest definition on the owl.
Five coins commemorating the Panama-Pacific International Exposition were produced, as well as an extensive range of private medals (refer to the Hibler-Kappen book of So-Called Dollars for these). The $50 gold pieces were by Robert Aitken, a sculptor from New York. "Cornelius Vermeule, in his Numismatic Art in America, Aesthetics of the United States Coinage, offers beautifully crafted commentary of Aitken's design" [as explained in a Pan-Pacific $50 gold description by the auction firm Heritage]:
"Robert Aitken tried to create modern, pseudo-Athenian coins, in an idiom of archaeological classicism popular among many American sculptors trained partly at the American Academy in Rome before and after the First World War. His ideas were laudable. There were a minimum of inscriptions, a classic Greco-Egyptian profile of Athena in full panoply, the date in roman numerals, and a naturalistic owl in a mass of Western pine cones. … In an overall view, the arresting feature of the giant gold coins is their archaistic treatment of details in relief. Athena's crest, wreath, curls, and aegis imitate the work of an ancient bronze… these coins were a tour de force, dated to be sure, but unusual enough in all respects to be worthy of what American numismatic art could achieve when creativity and mint technique worked in unison."
Estimated Value $100,000 - 110,000.
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| Realized $100,625 |
