Commems Collection Classic: 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition - "First 100"

I've written before about how I enjoy collecting auction catalogs that include noteworthy classic commemorative collections. Sometimes, I keep a catalog for one or several individual lots that stand out from the norm (vs. a complete collection). Here's a story about one such catalog...

A good number of the commemorative coin programs of the classic era arranged for small groups of struck coins to be set aside for special purposes. For example, the first 200 coins of the 1936 Cincinnati Music Center program and the 1936 Cleveland Centennial program were placed in special holders that were notarized as to their pedigree. (You can read about them here: .1936 Cleveland Centennial Notarized Holder and 1936 Cincinatti Music Center Notarized Holder.)

The Panama-Pacific International Exposition coin program was another that secured the first batch of Silver Half Dollars, Gold Dollars and Gold Quarter Eagles to be coins struck. The first 100 examples struck of each were placed in small, numbered envelopes and were accompanied by a letter from the Superintendent of the Mint in San Francisco.

The auction for the American Numismatic Association's 1995 Early Spring Convention featured only a small selection of silver and gold classic US commemorative coins, but did include a three-lot sequence that captured my attention - one of the special sets for the 1915-16 Exposition.

The coins in question were the 36th struck out of the "First 100" of each denomination. Each of the coins was accompanied by the above mentioned letter from T. W. Shanahan, the Superintendent of the US Mint in San Francisco. Each of the letters stated:

"This is to certify that the herewith enclosed is No. 36 of the first issue of 100 silver/gold coins of the denomination of [One Half Dollar/One Dollar/Two and One Half Dollars] which were struck from the coining press of the United States Mint at San Francisco, California, in commemoration of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, pursuant to the Act of Congress approved on January 16, 1915."

Note: Each coin's letter specified the individual coin's metallic composition and denomination.

The lots were available individually, as well as in a group of three. If the sum of the individual coin bids exceeded that of the three-coin set, the coins were to be sold individually, otherwise they would go as a group. Fortunately, the group stayed together and was sold as one lot for$9,460.

I had just started collecting US commemorative coins at the time and was not a participant in the auction - too bad!

Here are images of the coins and letters in question - they are all in black-and-white as included in the catalog:

1995 Heritage Numismatic Auctions - ANA Early Spring Auction Catalog - Front Cover


1995 Heritage Numismatic Auctions - ANA Early Spring Auction Catalog - Pan-Pac Half Dollar


1995 Heritage Numismatic Auctions - ANA Early Spring Auction Catalog - Pan-Pac Gold Dollar


1995 Heritage Numismatic Auctions - ANA Early Spring Auction Catalog - Pan-Pac Gold Quarter Eagle


1995 Heritage Numismatic Auctions - ANA Early Spring Auction Catalog - Pan-Pac "First 100" Letters



For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including other Panama-Pacific International Exposition commemorative coin stories, see: Commems Collection.