Pan - Pac $50's.

keets · October 25, 2013 6:18AM

I was perusing the listings of eBay with a usual assortment of keywords, a pass-time I'm sure others use, perhaps out of boredom as I do from time to time. Today provided an interesting find-----not one but two Panama Pacific $50 round Commems!!! One is this NGC 65 and the other is a PCGS Genuine example which shows some of the "mishandling" described in the NGC listing as unfortunately common for these. I was actually surprised at the low number of coins from each Type that were purchased and might still exist. What a fantastically beautiful design in large format.

Just thought I'd post the link in case anyone was interested in the viewing and reading contained in the description. Now, if I only had some spare cash laying around!!!

Al H.

BillJones · October 25, 2013 6:39AM

The Pan-Pac $50 gold pieces were large and impressive coins, but at the time some people were disappointed because both pieces had the same designs. The issue price was $100 for one, and for that amount you also got the half dollar, gold dollar and quarter eagle at no extra charge. For $200 you got both pieces with the smaller coins as an added incentive. The octagonal $50 gold was more popular because of its unusual shape. Most of the buyers were banks and wealthy individuals. In those days $100 was close to six months income for the average family.

Given the high prices, only a few collectors can afford to get involved in this market today. Collectors can also get antsy when authorities like Anthony Swiatek warns potential buyers that many pieces have been puttied and that some of those repaired coins have slipped by the grading services.

Here are two pieces that have both been graded MS-64. These pieces each two and half times as much as a $20 gold piece.

The octagonal

The round

OldEastside · October 25, 2013 6:40AM

Tiss the season to misplace your HINT-LIST in plain view

Steve

SeattleSlammer · October 25, 2013 6:57AM

Argh, love them...especially the octagonal examples! Big bucks.
Rarecoinwholesalersca has nearly 100% drool-worthy inventory.
Did you see the 1864 Trime in NGC MS68 Star PL CAC? Wow what a piece!

coinlieutenant · October 25, 2013 7:26AM

One of the most dedicated and longstanding collectors I have ever known used to take me up to his safety deposit boxes on occasion. One time he took me up to the room and pulled out a new box, and laid down ten pan-pac 50s, all in a row on the bank counter. 7 Octagonals and 3 Rounds. I still remember the weight and thuds as he put them down one by one....pretty cool.

DennisH · October 25, 2013 7:42AM

The octagonal has long been the #1 coin on my Wish List.

PerryHall · October 25, 2013 7:57AM

At about 2.5 oz, these were the heaviest coins to be produced by the US Mint until the 5 oz ATB series.

coinsarefun · October 25, 2013 9:06AM

One of my favorite designs in gold among the many I desire.

This will keep me amused until then.

I am thinking to change my avatar first time since I joined.

SaorAlba · October 25, 2013 9:30AM

My great great grandmother went to the Pan Pac Expo in 1915, I still have the camera she brought with her and some of the souvenirs she bought including some of the brass medallions. I wish she had bought one of the octagonal $50s.

Eagleguy · October 25, 2013 9:48AM

Love these designs. Wish I could afford them.

JH

MsMorrisine · October 25, 2013 9:50AM

<< My great great grandmother went to the Pan Pac Expo in 1915, I still have the camera she brought with her and some of the souvenirs she bought including some of the brass medallions. I wish she had bought one of the octagonal $50s. >>

Brass medallions???!!!

Got pictures?

sparky64 · October 25, 2013 10:08AM

Amazing coin you linked to keets. Thanks.

ricko · October 25, 2013 10:31AM

The octagonal has always been my 'dream coin'..... just beautiful.... Cheers, RickO

Unknown · October 25, 2013 10:46AM

This content has been removed.

SaorAlba · October 25, 2013 11:34AM

<< 

<< My great great grandmother went to the Pan Pac Expo in 1915, I still have the camera she brought with her and some of the souvenirs she bought including some of the brass medallions. I wish she had bought one of the octagonal $50s. >>

Brass medallions???!!!

Got pictures? >>

They are in her purse still, and it is in the SDB. I even have her coin purse, unfortunately my aunt stole a $2.50 from 1910 out of the change but left the rest of the bronze and silver. She took hundreds of photos and they are still not published. Some of her photographs are pretty historical, picture with President McKinley during his visit to San Francisco in 1901.

Sometime I might photograph all of the coins etc and post them here.

keets · October 25, 2013 11:41AM

looking at pictures of them fascinates me, I can only imagine holding one to feel the heft!

AnkurJ · October 25, 2013 1:25PM

I have held one as well as a gold slug. They are hefty indeed. Enough that I would think the slab would break if you were to drop it.

pocketpiececommems · October 25, 2013 1:39PM

I'm still looking for someone to post a pic of the G08 and VG10 that is out there somewhere.

SmEagle1795 · October 25, 2013 2:59PM

These are great coins. I have an interesting piece from the dark side with a significant connection to them: it is an aureus of Domitian from the Huntington collection, which was in the ANS museum right around the time of the designing of the Pan Pac $50s. As the only ancient coin with this bust on it (Domitian usually had Minerva depicted standing), it strikes me as a very possible case for this being the "pattern" coin for the Pan Pac $50s - the similarity is uncanny.

Bodin · October 25, 2013 3:55PM

Sure looks like they were separated at birth!

AnkurJ · October 25, 2013 9:08PM

SmEagle: that's too cool! I bet those are cheaper than a pan pac...?

Broadstruck · October 25, 2013 9:27PM

I've also always preferred the octagon as if I'm gonna spend that kinda dough I want the 8 dolphins

SmEagle1795 · October 26, 2013 2:16AM

<< SmEagle: that's too cool! I bet those are cheaper than a pan pac...? >>

Thanks! Unfortunately no, this coin was quite expensive as Roman gold goes, about the same price as a Pan Pac octagonal in 65. A lower grade example would be cheaper but this type is very hard to come by. I had this one graded by NGC (an increasing trend but not yet mainstream for ancient coins), and it received AU* Fine Style 5/5, which is essentially as good as it gets for slightly circulated ancients.

SmEagle1795 · October 26, 2013 2:24AM

<< I've also always preferred the octagon as if I'm gonna spend that kinda dough I want the 8 dolphins

>>

The circling dolphins are another motif which was "borrowed" from the ancient world. They made their debut on dekadrachms from Syracuse. A dekadrachm is one of the largest silver coin denominations - about the size of a Morgan dollar but much heavier. Here's my example engraved by Euainetos in 405BC. These were as famous in antiquity as they are now (amongst darksiders, at least

), being copied by many other artists for hundreds of years in antiquity and given a prominent place on the Pan Pac $50:

Pan - Pac $50's.

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