1915-S Panama-Pacific Exposition $50. Round. MS-67 (NGC).

Exquisite Superb Gem 1915-S Panama-Pacific $50 Round Only 483 Coins Distributed From an Original Set Sold by Farran Zerbe in 1915 Later Handled by B. Max Mehl 1915-S Panama-Pacific Exposition $50. Round. MS-67 (NGC). Here is an outstanding Superb Gem survivor of this legendary commemorative issue. Vivid orange-gold surfaces are uncommonly attractive in preservation. The texture is uniformly satiny and fully untroubled throughout the fields. This is a wonderful representative of this large and impressive gold coin, one that will please even the most discriminating bidder. The rare Panama-Pacific $50 commemoratives are featured in the popular reference 100 Greatest U.S. Coins by Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth, where they are ranked #29 in the fifth (2019) edition. The obverse of this type depicts Liberty as Athena with her helmet pitched up upon her head in the fashion of the ancient Greeks, surrounded by the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above, and the denomination FIFTY DOLLARS below. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST is located in the upper left field. For the reverse the designer, Robert Aitken, featured a large owl facing nearly forward, perched on a thick pine branch, with large pine cones below and in the background. The motto E PLURIBUS UNUM is tucked into the field behind the owl. Matching the obverse is a round band at the perimeter which notes the name and place of the Exposition. On the similar octagonal $50 pieces (but not the round), an extra border with dolphins symbolize the continuous waterway created by the opening of the Panama Canal. The round version of the Panama-Pacific Exposition $50s did not sell as well as the octagonal style at the time of issue in 1915, hence a greater percentage of this type was returned to the Mint for melting. Of the 1,500 round examples struck, only 483 were distributed, making it the rarest collectible U.S. Mint commemorative coin. A good number of those sold, perhaps the majority, went into non-numismatic hands and as a result, they are occasionally seen with quite a bit of handling or other surface problems. Precious few remain in full Superb Gem Mint State preservation, as here, making this a significant opportunity for discerning collectors. This $50 is from an original five-piece set of Panama-Pacific Exposition commemorative silver and gold coins sold by Farran Zerbe on July 29, 1915. The buyer at that time was a Robert O. Fleming(?) of Oswego, Kansas, who ordered the coins from Zerbe on June 24, 1915, and acquired them in an original case. This set's next documented sale was on June 8, 1940, when it was sold by renowned Fort Worth, Texas coin dealer B. Max Mehl to a Mr. W.C. Mullendore of Los Angeles, California. By that time the original box had apparently been lost and was replaced by an original Shreve & Co. copper frame. While we have seen copies of the two sales receipts confirming these early sales for this set, neither is included with this lot. The original box and frame are also not included. The remaining four coins in this original set are also being offered in this sale, each individually. Provenance: Property from an Alabama Family. Earlier ex Farran Zerbe, July 29, 1915; Robert O. Fleming(?), Oswego, Kansas; B. Mex Mehl, June 8, 1940; Mr. W.C. Mullendore, Los Angeles, California. NGC Census: 4; 0 finer. The corresponding PCGS Population is 0/1 (MS-67+ finest). PCGS# 7451. NGC ID: BYLU. Click here for certification details from NGC.

Estimate:£0.74

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