Home U.S. Coin Forum

Farran Zerbe "Money of the World" exhibit at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition

SG58SG58 Posts: 63 ✭✭✭

Does anyone have a picture of Farran Zerbe's exhibit and coin sales area that was set up at the 1915 PPIE? I have seen a picture of the outside of the exhibit area with the white lattices and the signs, but never of the inside area. It would be interesting to see where the initial sales of the commemorative coins occurred to the public.

Comments

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The exterior of each booth was photographed for the Exhibition guide, but I am not aware of any interior photos of Zerbe's coin display. he got into considerable trouble with Treasury for neglecting the sale of medals struck at the Exhibition and of the commemorative coins. Treasury officials wrote they did not feel he could be trusted.

  • SG58SG58 Posts: 63 ✭✭✭

    The post above is the exterior view of the exhibit.

  • sparky64sparky64 Posts: 7,036 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That picture really makes me wish I could step inside and take a look around.

    And make a few purchases of course.

    "If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"

    My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,291 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @RogerB said:
    The exterior of each booth was photographed for the Exhibition guide, but I am not aware of any interior photos of Zerbe's coin display. he got into considerable trouble with Treasury for neglecting the sale of medals struck at the Exhibition and of the commemorative coins. Treasury officials wrote they did not feel he could be trusted.

    Do you have any photos of the letters that say he couldn’t be trusted?

    It’s neat that he was a founder of the PCNS which was created in the year of the exhibition.

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The documents are referenced in Renaissance of American Coinage 1909-1915.

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,291 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 23, 2019 12:46AM

    @RogerB said:
    The documents are referenced in Renaissance of American Coinage 1909-1915.

    References are okay but are there photos of the documents like you post for others here?

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,227 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I do not recall ever seeing a photo of the inside of the Zerbe exhibit. Have you checked the pages of the Numismatist from that era? Because of his close relationship with the ANA he might have posted something there.

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have copies, but they are in paper and filed in storage. They are part of the US Treasury holdings (not the Mint) at NARA in College Park, MD. There is a Treasury file for each exhibition where there was a government booth or display.

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,291 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 23, 2019 5:02PM

    Imagine someone buying the full set with slugs and original case with a photo with Zerbe holding the coins in the booth?

  • SG58SG58 Posts: 63 ✭✭✭
    edited March 23, 2019 1:57PM

    Here is a much better photo of Zerbe's exhibit showing "PPIE Official Coins and Medals" and "Zerbe's Unique Money of the World" signs!

  • csdotcsdot Posts: 694 ✭✭✭✭

    Amazing how the 5 coins (especially the two $50s) from this event are ones that most collectors would love to have as centerpieces of their collections.

  • BGBG Posts: 1,762 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I've been thru the 1915 to 1923 Numismatist.

    I did not find an image of the inside of Zerbe's display.

  • SG58SG58 Posts: 63 ✭✭✭

    Some comments on the interior of the exhibit: If you click on the photo to enlarge it, there appears to be paper money displays along the walls on the left and right sides. There appears to be coin displays under glass display cases towards the back on the left and right sides. There appears to be a telephone towards the back on the left side and bird(s) on the railing above the paper money display on the right side! The sign on the floor in front of the display cases which is blocked by the light post (which presumably contains the PPIE coins and medals) appears to read "PPIE Special Coins" (but it could be something else).

  • StrikeOutXXXStrikeOutXXX Posts: 3,352 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 25, 2019 5:28PM

    Scroll down to page 114 and it starts talking about Zerbe, page 116 is a textual description of some of what was inside his display, the photo shown above, page 118 talks about the coins, and there is a picture of the coins in a display that was likely used in the exhibit, and more info through page 121.

    https://books.google.com/books?id=1LYzAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

    ------------------------------------------------------------

    "You Suck Award" - February, 2015

    Discoverer of 1919 Mercury Dime DDO - FS-101
  • SG58SG58 Posts: 63 ✭✭✭

    Here is a photo of Zerbe's coin display from the 1905 Portland Lewis and Clark Exposition.

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file